Two Israelis Charged with Shooting at Home and Police in Northern Israel

Two residents of the northern Israeli town of 'Uzayr, ages 25 and 23, have been indicted for allegedly firing at a private residence and subsequently shooting at police officers who pursued them. The Northern District Attorney's office filed the indictment and a request for pre-trial detention against Mahmoud Faour and Mahdi Abu Samra at the Nazareth District Court.

According to the indictment, the two men, along with a third accomplice, planned an attack on a local resident five weeks prior. They allegedly armed themselves with an M16 assault rifle and ammunition, intending to kill the target. To conceal their identities, they wore gloves, covered their faces, and removed the license plates from their silver Toyota. They then drove to the victim's home around 11:30 p.m. and opened heavy fire, damaging the entrance door and vehicles parked in the yard.

Two police officers on patrol in the area heard the gunfire, responded to the scene, and initiated a pursuit of the suspects' vehicle. The chase continued onto Highway 77, between the Golani and Ha'Motzvim interchanges. During the pursuit, the suspects allegedly aimed their rifle at the police car and fired at close range. The officers exited their vehicle under fire and returned shots. The suspects then fled on foot, abandoning their car in a wooded area near the "Eshkol" water site.

The investigation, led by the Emekim District's central unit, collected evidence including M16 shell casings from both shooting scenes, which matched. A hat and gloves found at the scene reportedly contained DNA traces belonging to Faour. Digital evidence, including Faour's mobile phone found in the abandoned car, placed him at the scene of the planning, the shooting, and the escape route. Data from Abu Samra's phone indicated it disconnected from the car's multimedia system shortly after the incident. WhatsApp messages also reportedly suggested coordination for the escape and travel with another individual back to the car's abandonment point.

The suspects were arrested two days later in a safe house in Ramat Gan and their detention was extended by the court. They face charges including aggravated assault, illegal weapons possession and transport, firing a weapon under aggravated circumstances, altering a vehicle's identification, intentional damage, and obstruction of justice. Northern District Commander Superintendent Meir Eliyahu praised the officers for engaging the suspects under fire and reiterated the police's uncompromising stance against those who target law enforcement.