Police charge three alleged hit squad members with murder, extortion in northern Israel
Police received reports of shots fired at close range in Bukata. Abu Shahin, who investigators said was the intended target, and Saada, who was a bystander, were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Three individuals have been charged with murder and attempted murder in connection to the killings of two individuals in northern Israel. Prosecutors allege the suspects were part of a hit squad associated with a crime organization.
Ayman Ibrahim, 43, from Sajur; Said Maddah, 28, from Sammui; and Ronen Araida, 19, from Kiryat Shmona are accused of the murders of Marwan Abu Shahin, 52, and Saada Saada, 56. The killings occurred in June. Araida is also charged with attempted murder in Yarka.
The alleged hit squad reportedly organized the killings in advance, according to the indictment. The defendants are said to have rented a vacation cabin in Bukata - the town where Abu Shahin lived - a day prior to the murders. They had purchased vehicles from a car lot in Usfiya, according to the indictment.
During an undercover investigation, police found the hit squad had extorted money from Abu Shahin, increasing his debt from NIS 1.8 million to NIS 3.2 million. The extortion case against Abu Shahin began in December when shots were fired at his home after he allegedly refused demands. Abu Shahin was included on the prosecution's witness list. He was later shot dead in June.
When the investigation became public, suspects were arrested and vehicles seized. The main suspect in the shooting managed to escape, leading to a weeks-long manhunt. Araida was apprehended on July 5 while leaving a business in Yarka after shooting an employee. Police identified him as the main suspect in the Bukata murders, for whom they had been searching.
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