Indictment Filed Against Farm Co-Owner Over Hawara Shooting Incident

Israel’s State Prosecutor filed a serious indictment on Thursday against Oria Cohen, 38, one of the owners of Havat Tzafnat, over an alleged violent confrontation with Palestinians in the West Bank village of Hawara. The charges include discharging a firearm in a residential area in a way that endangered lives, threats, reckless conduct, obstruction of justice, and helping after the fact.

According to the indictment, on June 6 the farm’s sheep left the compound, and Cohen and his co-owner Yakir summoned local residents to help find them, believing the flock had been stolen. At 10:37 a.m., Cohen drove into Hawara with a masked passenger in the front seat, both armed. Prosecutors say he then cut off a Palestinian Hyundai Tucson, causing it to hit his car, before Cohen and the masked man got out, aimed weapons at the driver and passengers, and ordered them out of the vehicle. Cohen allegedly fired into the air, and as the Palestinian car tried to flee, the masked man fired live rounds at it.

The indictment says another owner of the farm later arrived on a quad bike with a man in partial uniform and a military helmet. That group reportedly blocked a second vehicle carrying Hawara residents, opened its doors, and forcibly pulled out and tied up two Palestinians. Cohen is also accused of interfering with the investigation by collecting shell casings, loading the masked man and one of the attackers into his car, and driving them away while passing the two wounded Palestinians lying on the road bleeding.

Havt Tzafnat is not the one speaking publicly, but Honenu, a right-wing legal aid organization, sharply rejected the case. Its CEO, Shmuel, also known as Zangi, Midad, called it a false campaign, saying Cohen was a farmer trying to recover stolen sheep and defend himself from attackers. He said the farm was established legally and in coordination with security forces, and accused police and prosecutors of ignoring the evidence. The case now moves to court.