IDF Soldier to Be Charged with Murder in Gangland Dispute

A statement of charges was filed Wednesday against a 24-year-old Israel Defense Forces soldier from Bir al-Maksur, suspected of involvement in a July murder in Shfaram. The killing occurred as part of a bloody feud between the Suwad-Khaldi crime families.

On July 1, 2026, Ali Suwad was murdered at the Shfaram bus terminal. During the suspects' escape, Hisham Hujirat was also shot and later died from his wounds. The suspects were arrested by Lahav 433 investigators. Following an intensive investigation, a statement of charges was filed against the murder suspects on August 10.

Two days later, on August 12, 2026, Hisham Hujirat was leaving his home when a vehicle blocked his path. The suspect then shot Hujirat and fled the scene. Medical personnel pronounced him dead.

Following the discovery of the suspects' vehicle abandoned in a forest near Bir al-Maksur, the IDF soldier was apprehended. He was found with a bottle of gasoline, allegedly intending to burn the vehicle. After 40 days in custody, investigators from Lahav 433 gathered sufficient evidence to charge him with involvement in the murder, and the Haifa District Prosecutor's Office filed the statement of charges. This marks the third murder case solved this year by Lahav 433 investigators related to the Suwad-Khaldi crime families' feud, according to police.

Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai praised the investigators for solving three murders within the ongoing bloody conflict, emphasizing the police's continued commitment to combating crime and violence in the Arab community.