Prisoner Serving Murder Sentence Shot Dead at Bus Stop

Eyal Haib, 37, a prisoner serving an 18-year sentence for manslaughter, was shot and killed Friday morning at a bus stop on Highway 65 near Jalameh Prison. Police are investigating the incident as criminal. Haib had been granted permission by the Israel Prison Service to leave for work and return to prison since 2015. On Friday, while en route to a factory in northern Israel where he was employed, he was shot and killed at the bus stop.

The Israel Prison Service stated that Haib was a "rehabilitating prisoner" and that initial findings indicate he was on his way to a rehabilitation factory. The investigation is ongoing.

Haib was convicted in 2017 for his role in a 2014 incident where he was hired for 150,000 shekels by Ahmed Fathi Hasarma and Ibrahim Hasarma to shoot and severely injure another individual. Haib was given an handgun, gloves, and a mask by Ahmed Fathi, waited for the victim, and shot him twice, with one bullet causing fatal blood loss. He later informed Ahmed Fathi that the task was completed and received 30,000 shekels as an advance payment. The court noted that Haib acted out of greed and indifference to the risk of death, leaving the victim to bleed without seeking aid.

Magen David Adom received a report of the shooting at 6:41 AM. Paramedics arriving at the scene found Haib unconscious with penetrating wounds. Despite resuscitation efforts by a bystander and the paramedics, his injuries were deemed fatal.

Police initiated a search for suspects and began an investigation, confirming the criminal background of the incident. The article also notes a particularly violent evening across Israel prior to this incident, with multiple shootings and stabbings resulting in two deaths and several injuries in various locations, including Baqa al-Gharbiyye, Tamra, and Kfar Qasim. So far this year, 197 people have been murdered in the Arab community.