Ex-Gang Leader Injured in Jerusalem Car Bombing

Itzik Bar Mocha, the former head of the "Jerusalem Gang," was seriously injured in a car bombing in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood of Jerusalem on Monday. Bar Mocha, who has remained a prominent figure in the underworld despite decades of activity and lengthy prison sentences, was previously involved in the extortion of Ofer Maximov in the Trade Bank affair. He and his associates allegedly embezzled tens of millions of shekels from Eti Alon's fraudulent activities, which led to the bank's collapse and Bar Mocha's 13-year prison sentence.

He was later convicted of involvement in attempted murders of his former partners, the Malka brothers, serving additional prison time. Bar Mocha had also collaborated with figures from Kutayr Odeh's crime organization, a connection that increased his influence but also entangled him in conflicts with numerous rivals across the country. His move to Yavne in recent years shifted local power balances, leading him to recruit younger criminals to help establish a foothold in extortion and collection businesses in the Shfela region.

Due to rising tensions, police had identified his residential area as a "ticking time bomb," increasing patrols and arrests around his home out of concern for innocent bystanders. Despite his age and years spent incarcerated, he is still considered a high-priority intelligence target for the central and Jerusalem districts of the Israel Police.

On Monday, a suspected explosive device attached to his vehicle detonated while he was traveling with his 13-year-old son in Jerusalem, resulting in injuries to both. The incident is being investigated as an attempted assassination.