Landing at Ben Gurion, man arrested on suspicion of murdering his grandma in 2018

A man was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport on suspicion of murdering his grandmother in March 2018, police announced Friday morning.

The unnamed suspect had been in Moldova, having been on the run since the woman was killed in her home in Pardes Hanna.

He was arrested when he landed in Israel on Thursday evening.

The body of the 60-year-old woman, also unnamed, was found in her apartment.

Police said that the suspect, 23, lived with his grandmother up until her death — he had left the country before the woman’s body was discovered.

The Ynet news site said police believed he stole money and jewelry from his grandmother.

The suspect will appear at Haifa Magistrate’s Court later on Friday for a custody hearing.

Twenty-five women were murdered in a number of high-profile killings in 2018, leading to calls for action on domestic violence.

Activists have long complained about violence against women in Israel, saying not enough is done to prevent domestic violence, particularly in cases where the victims were known to authorities.

A study by the Hebrew University-based Israel Observatory on Femicide examining the first half of 2022, found a 71 percent increase in femicide relative to the same period last year — 12 deaths compared to seven.

In July, Prime Minister Yair Lapid addressed the scourge of violence against women, saying it was “a stain on the country and it cannot continue.”

Last month, Public Security Minister Omer Barlev weighed in on the issue, saying, “Violence against women cuts across sectors, and combating it is one of my priorities. It is not always possible to identify in advance a home where a woman is under physical, mental or financial violence…But I am determined to continue turning over every stone in order to provide security to women whose lives are in danger.”