Kareem Younes, Convicted Soldier Killer, Dies After Serving 40 Years in Israeli Prison

Kareem Younes, one of the perpetrators who murdered Israeli soldier Avraham Bromberg in 1980, has died. Younes was released from prison in January 2023 after serving a 40-year sentence. At the time of his release, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri requested the Attorney General to revoke Younes's Israeli citizenship, as he was an Israeli citizen. Upon release, Younes was quietly dropped off in Ra'anana without notifying his family, who had come to pick him up. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir instructed the Prison Service to prevent any celebrations outside the prison and ordered the police to stop festivities in the village of Ara, where Younes's family resides.

The murder occurred on November 26, 1980, when 20-year-old Avraham Bromberg was attacked on his way home from the Golan Heights. Despite fighting back, he was shot in the head and his weapon was stolen. Bromberg was hospitalized at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa and died from his wounds on December 1, 1980. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant the day before his death and was buried in the military section of Zikhron Ya'akov cemetery. He left behind his parents and four siblings. Prime Minister and Defense Minister Menachem Begin wrote a letter to the family praising Bromberg as an excellent soldier and beloved friend.

On June 14, 2023, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant signed an order to seize funds from Kareem and Maher Younes, the two convicted killers, due to payments they received from the Palestinian Authority as rewards. Following recommendations from the Anti-Terror Economic Warfare Headquarters and new intelligence about the payments, the Defense Ministry ordered the seizure of approximately half a million shekels belonging to the Younes cousins. The operation, conducted in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Ministry of Justice's confiscation unit, also included the seizure of a luxury vehicle owned by the Younes family.