East Jerusalem Men Charged with Murder Over Cancelled Engagement

The State Prosecutor's Office has filed a murder indictment against two East Jerusalem residents, Abd Ouda from Silwan and Islam Alqram from Issawiya. Ouda is accused of murdering Hussein Dar Issa and shooting his brother, while Alqram faces charges of obstructing justice and aiding after the fact. The two allegedly fled after the incident and hid for two months before being apprehended in a safe house in Hebron. The prosecution is seeking their detention until the legal proceedings conclude.

The indictment, filed by attorney Rachel Aharoni Zevi, states that the motive for the attack was a dispute stemming from the cancellation of the deceased's sister's engagement to Mustafa Abu Kalbin, followed by offensive social media posts. On the night of June 29, the deceased and his brother Hassan went to a meeting in Silwan after a heated conversation with Abu Kalbin. Shortly thereafter, Abu Kalbin, another individual, and the two defendants arrived at the scene in a vehicle.

According to the indictment, Abu Kalbin began attacking the deceased with kicks and a knife. When Hassan intervened to help his brother, Abu Kalbin attempted to stab him as well, wounding his hand. While another person held Hassan from behind, Ouda allegedly shot him in the leg at close range. When the deceased heard the gunshot and tried to flee, Ouda reportedly aimed his pistol at his upper body and shot him in the back from approximately 11 meters away, intending to kill him. The deceased died from the gunshot wounds.

Immediately after the shooting, Alqram allegedly retrieved a spent shell casing from the ground and removed it from the scene before fleeing with Abu Kalbin, leaving the deceased and his wounded brother behind. Ouda fled on foot. The two were on the run until August 30, when they were found in a Hebron safe house. Ouda is charged with premeditated murder, aggravated assault, and illegal weapons possession. Alqram is charged with obstructing justice, aiding after the fact, and driving without a valid license. The investigation was conducted by detectives from the Jerusalem District's Special Tasks Unit.