Three Convicted in Brutal Murder of Pregnant Woman in Lod Receive Lengthy Prison Sentences

The Lod District Court has sentenced three individuals to prison for the 2023 murder of 26-year-old Aya Abu Hajjaj, who was in the advanced stages of pregnancy. The court convicted the victim's half-brother, who was 14 at the time of the crime, and her cousin, who was 15, of murder under aggravated circumstances. The half-brother received a 22-year sentence, while the cousin was sentenced to 17 years. The victim's father was also sentenced to 15 years for aiding in the crime and other charges. Additionally, the court ordered the defendants to pay over 300,000 shekels in compensation to Abu Hajjaj's children.

The indictment stated that the murder stemmed from Abu Hajjaj's refusal to return to live with her father and his family in Hura. On the morning of the murder, the two minors, masked and armed with a knife, ambushed Abu Hajjaj as she was taking her two young children, aged four and five, to kindergarten. The half-brother attacked her, stabbing her approximately 20 times in front of her children, even after she fell to the ground. She and her unborn child did not survive despite medical efforts.

Prosecutors described the act as a "brutal murder" and praised the courage of Abu Hajjaj's mother and sisters for testifying. They expressed hope that the sentences would bring some solace to the grieving family. The legal aid attorney representing the family called the murder "horrific" and stated that the family can now focus on caring for Abu Hajjaj's orphaned children.