Man Sentenced to Life for Murdering Woman in Front of Daughter

A court has sentenced Nidal Dagher to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of Rasha Stawi. Dagher planned the killing, acquiring an unlicensed motorcycle and a handgun before shooting Stawi at close range inside her home. The victim's 10-year-old daughter witnessed the murder, attempting to hide behind her mother during the shooting. The court, presided over by Judge Esther Helman, deemed the act of committing the murder in front of the child a distinct and aggravating factor, justifying an additional cumulative sentence beyond the mandatory life term.

Initially, police suspected a financial motive but found no evidence to support it, leaving the true motive for Stawi's murder unknown. In addition to the life sentence, Dagher's driver's license was suspended for one year, and he was ordered to pay a record 258,000 shekels in compensation to the victim's family.

Of the total compensation, 100,000 shekels were allocated to Stawi's daughter who witnessed the murder, and another 100,000 shekels to her two other minor children. The remaining amount was distributed among Stawi's six siblings. Funds designated for the children will be held in a special account until they reach adulthood, though they can be accessed earlier for necessary psychological treatment stemming from the trauma of the crime.

Dagher has a prior conviction for trafficking in means of combat in 2017, for which he served 14 months in prison, before facing the murder charge.