Jaffa Murder: Suspect Charged in Ambush Killing of Crime Figure
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
Mohammed Zeitounia, 22, has been charged with the murder of Mohammed Ahmad Katwan, a member of the Hariri crime organization, in Jaffa on August 30. Zeitounia allegedly ambushed Katwan during a planned meeting, shooting him multiple times at close range. Katwan's driver was also critically injured in the attack. Zeitounia, who had been released from prison less than a month prior, was arrested three days after the incident.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Mohammed Zeitounia, 22, is charged with the murder of Mohammed Ahmad Katwan in Jaffa on August 30.
- Zeitounia allegedly ambushed Katwan during a planned meeting, shooting him multiple times.
- Katwan's driver was critically injured and remains hospitalized after the shooting.
- Zeitounia had been released from prison less than a month before the murder.
- This was the second murder in Jaffa within a 48-hour period.
- Katwan was a known member of the Hariri crime organization.
A planned ambush in Jaffa resulted in the fatal shooting of Mohammed Ahmad Katwan, a member of the Hariri crime organization, on August 30. Katwan was shot at close range while meeting Mohammed Zeitounia, 22, who had arrived on a motorcycle. Security camera footage captured the planned attack, which occurred shortly after 1 a.m. According to the indictment, Zeitounia had already decided to kill Katwan before the meeting.
Katwan arrived with two escorts, but Zeitounia, armed with a pistol, opened fire. The shooting continued even after Katwan collapsed, with Zeitounia allegedly leaning in to fire again. Both escorts attempted to flee; one escaped on foot, while the driver crashed the car into a wall. The indictment states that shots were also fired at them. Fourteen shell casings were found at the scene, all from the same weapon.
Katwan was killed, and his driver was critically injured, requiring emergency surgery and extended hospitalization. The surviving escort identified Zeitounia as the shooter. This was the second murder in Jaffa within 48 hours.
Katwan, from Jaljulia, was known to police as part of the Hariri crime group and had a dispute with Oda Koteir prior to his death, though the indictment does not link this dispute to the murder. Katwan had been subject to administrative restrictions, including a ban from Jaljulia, which his lawyers had warned could endanger his life.
Zeitounia fled to Bat Yam after the shooting, changing clothes and moving to another car before heading to Jerusalem. Investigators tracked his escape route using security cameras and gathered evidence including location data and the surviving escort's testimony. Zeitounia, who had a prior record for weapons and violence offenses and was released from prison less than a month before the murder, was arrested three days later. He is now charged with aggravated murder and shooting at Katwan's escorts. He had remained silent during his interrogation.