Indictment Filed for Murder of Three Youths Found in Burned Car

The State Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment against Omri Abu Smak, 27, from Jatt, for the aggravated murder of three young men from Jaljulia: brothers Yazo, 17, and Qassem Ouda, 20, and their cousin Yahya Bassimi, 22. The murders occurred two months prior. Abu Smak is also charged with weapons offenses, altering a vehicle's identity, arson, and obstruction of justice. According to the indictment, Abu Smak and three associates allegedly planned the triple murder, lured the victims to an agricultural area in Jatt, shot them in the head and upper body, and then set fire to the car they were in. The three other individuals involved are suspected of participating in the murders and have fled abroad.

The indictment, filed by prosecutor Michael Yifrah, details that Abu Smak and his three alleged accomplices, Muahad Hariri, Eid Hefni, and Mahdi Abu Mohsen, formulated a plan to murder the three youths and prepared in advance. Their preparations included acquiring a handgun, ammunition, and accelerant, as well as a car that had been removed from the road, onto which they fitted license plates belonging to another vehicle. On the night of September 12-13, 2026, one of the group's members picked up the three youths and drove them to a residence in Jatt controlled by Abu Smak, which was used to carry out the plan. While at the residence, seven hamburger orders were placed for Abu Smak's home address. Later, the three left the apartment and were placed in the back seat of the car. The three victims were then driven in two vehicles to an agricultural area in Jatt, with the victims in the back seat of one of the cars. Upon arrival, Abu Smak and two of his associates allegedly fired several shots into the victims' heads and upper bodies. Afterward, one suspect poured accelerant on the car and set it ablaze with the three youths still inside.

A bail request stated that Abu Smak was heard speaking to another person about one of his accomplices' actions, saying, "May God forgive him for what he did to them, he burned them. There are other things you don't know. If I told you, your hair would stand on end." The prosecution emphasized the "extreme severity of the acts attributed to the defendant, evidenced not only by the tragic outcome of the deaths of three people, including a minor, but also by the premeditation, the preparation for their execution, and the manner of their implementation. This was not a spontaneous act of violence, but a planned sequence of actions, indicating the determination of those involved and the high danger posed by the defendant."