Israeli Court Convicts Brothers for Attempted Murder of Influencer Relative in Haifa

The Haifa District Court convicted Hassan and Saeed Dabbah, brothers aged 29 and 22, of attempting to murder their relative, a social media influencer, in March 2024. The incident occurred in the Arab town of Deir al-Asad, where the victim was shot at close range while sitting in her car. The court found the prosecution proved the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, weapons offenses, threats, and intentional injury.

The motive behind the attack was the brothers' anger over the victim's lifestyle and frequent social media activity. On the morning after a Mother's Day party, the victim was preparing to leave with her ex-partner, Kassem, when the brothers, armed and on a motorcycle, ambushed her. Hassan fired shots at her lower body through the car window, causing severe injuries that required two surgeries and blood transfusions. When Kassem tried to assist, the shooter threatened him and fired additional shots before fleeing.

The defense claimed the brothers were in Jerusalem at the time and argued the shooters wore helmets, leaving no forensic evidence such as fingerprints or DNA. However, the court rejected these claims, emphasizing the victim's clear identification of Hassan as the shooter and the critical testimony of the brothers' uncle, who stated, "I raised him, how could I not recognize him?" The uncle's initial police statement was deemed credible despite his later retraction in court due to fear of retaliation.

Additional evidence included cellphone location data and security camera footage of the escape motorcycle. The judge noted the defendants' complete silence during investigations and trial strengthened the case against them. The brothers remain in custody, with sentencing arguments scheduled for September.