Police Charge Yosef Ashur with Murder in Deadly Afula Car Bombing

Yosef Ashur, 28, from Migdal HaEmek, has been indicted for the murder of social activist Ovnech Dinko in Afula on May 26, when Dinko was killed by a car bomb explosion. Police released footage showing Ashur planting the explosive device under the victim's vehicle. The investigation quickly identified Ashur as a suspect, and within four hours of opening the case, officers arrested him driving a stolen car with counterfeit license plates in Migdal HaEmek. The car used in the bombing was found near a relative's home in Kiryat Tivon, containing DNA and fingerprints linking Ashur to the vehicle and the crime scene.

Ashur remained silent throughout the investigation and showed no remorse for Dinko's death. Dinko was a well-known social activist in Afula with no criminal background and was likely targeted due to a family dispute. Police discovered surveillance cameras in the neighborhood that recorded Ashur preparing and planting the explosive, which weighed several hundred grams and was a standard military-grade charge, possibly stolen from the IDF. The blast caused extensive damage, including a hole in the car's underside and fires affecting nearby homes, but miraculously no one else was injured.

The indictment filed at the Nazareth District Court includes charges of aggravated murder, weapons offenses, possession of stolen vehicle parts, and carrying and transporting an explosive device. Police also recovered an additional explosive device in February in Afula, believed to have fallen from a vehicle, which they linked to Ashur through forensic and technological evidence. Authorities emphasized that Ashur is suspected in other cases involving car bombings across Israel and requested his continued detention.

Dinko's brother, Yitzhak, described his late brother as an intelligent, kind, and socially active man who was unrelated to criminal activity. He called for a thorough investigation and justice for those responsible. Ashur's lawyer, Doron Noy, denied all charges and expressed confidence in his client's imminent release to return to his family.