New details emerge after the killing at the Bnei Brak yeshiva, suspect seen fleeing with bloodied glove and knife

Dramatic footage has been released from the moments after the horrific stabbing at the Chazon Ish yeshiva in Bnei Brak, in which one of the yeshiva students was murdered. The suspect, a homeless man with a psychiatric history, is seen fleeing for his life and entering an abandoned building, where, according to the police investigation, he threw away a bloodied glove and the knife used in the attack. New details have also emerged about the suspect’s escape.

The horrific killing took place on 20.5.26, in the afternoon. That day, a report was received at the police hotline about a man who had been stabbed at the Chazon Ish yeshiva complex on HaAri Street in Bnei Brak, while the suspect fled the scene. The victim, a 52-year-old resident of Bnei Brak, was evacuated in serious condition for medical treatment, and later died in hospital.

The suspect, 45, a homeless man, was arrested for questioning hours after the incident, following a manhunt. He was found in the city of Beit Shemesh, after fleeing there. He was arrested for questioning, detained, and his remand was extended from time to time.

The investigation by the Dan District’s serious crime unit found that the suspect arrived at the yeshiva complex, met the victim, and suddenly attacked him without any warning, in front of his 13-year-old son. According to suspicion, the suspect stabbed the victim several times and caused his fatal injuries, then fled the scene. The victim later died in hospital.

The investigation also found that the suspect and the victim used to pray at the same complex, and that a dispute had previously arisen between them over interpretations of religious matters. Testimony collected showed that the suspect had also threatened the deceased in the past that he would kill him, but no complaint on the matter was received by police.

Using rapid investigative steps and security camera footage, investigators managed to trace the suspect and his escape route. The investigation indicates that the suspect fled on foot through the streets of Bnei Brak, hiding in his jacket a bloodied glove and the knife that is believed to have been used in the attack, and discarded them in an abandoned building in Bnei Brak.

At the conclusion of the investigation yesterday, a prosecutor’s statement was filed against the suspect, and his remand was extended by five days, until 14.6.26. The prosecution intends to file an indictment against him.

Last night, journalist Tuvia Yeglanik of Galei Tzahal revealed an unusual and ongoing dispute between the court and the district psychiatrist in the murder case, detailing how the judge issued four separate decisions to transfer the suspect for a psychiatric examination under hospital conditions, all of which were not carried out. According to the report, as early as June 3 the judge ordered that the suspect be transferred for an urgent psychiatric examination under hospital conditions, in order to determine his mental state and his fitness to stand trial. However, the district psychiatrist refused to carry out the order, arguing that he could not perform a “substantive examination” at this stage of the legal proceedings.

The following day, on June 4, a second and explicit order was received from the court. In that decision, it was made clear in no uncertain terms that the examination could and must be carried out at this stage, and that the district psychiatrist was to take custody of the suspect and perform the examination before the start of Shabbat. But that clear instruction also met with a total refusal, and the judicial decision remained only on paper.

On Sunday, June 7, the dispute reached another peak when the court ordered for a third time that the suspect be transferred for an examination under hospital conditions. This time, given the paralyzing situation, the judge formally turned to the Israel Prison Service and demanded an explanation and clarification as to why the scheduled medical examination had not yet been carried out, and who was delaying its execution.

Yesterday, Wednesday, it became clear that despite all the warnings and previous decisions, the district psychiatrist once again did not comply with the order. As a result, today the judge issued a particularly sharp and forceful decision, in which she ordered that the suspect be transferred for a psychiatric examination “as far as possible today,” explicitly noting that this was being done “after previous decisions to transfer the suspect to the psychiatrist were not complied with.” In an unusual step, the judge added at the bottom of her decision a line printed in especially large, bold letters, directed specifically at the district psychiatrist. The note read: “Attention of the district psychiatrist to the decision of Hon. Judge Blickstein dated 4.6.2026, which refers to the decisions of the District Court ordering that, even in this proceeding, the competence examination can be initiated.”