Jerusalem Court Convicts Terrorist Who Tried to Murder Soldier to Become Martyr

The Jerusalem District Court unanimously convicted Adnan Qariy of attempted murder and carrying a knife after he tried to stab an Israeli soldier in December 2024 near the Dukhifat reconnaissance unit street in Jerusalem. The court rejected claims that his confession was coerced and dismissed his defense's argument that he acted under mental distress, ruling instead that his motives were nationalist and ideological.

According to the verdict, Qariy drove his car, spotted the soldier walking alone in uniform, turned around, and stopped. He exited his vehicle armed with a 13-centimeter blade knife, ran toward the soldier shouting "Allahu Akbar," "I will stab you," and "You will die today," and attempted to stab him. The soldier retreated, drew his weapon, and ordered Qariy to stop and lie down in both Arabic and Hebrew. Qariy briefly moved toward his car but then advanced again, prompting the soldier to fire a warning shot into the air before shooting Qariy multiple times to neutralize him.

Qariy later claimed he acted out of mental distress and despair, asserting he shouted "Shoot me in the head" and did not intend to harm anyone. However, during his second police interrogation, he admitted explicitly that he intended to kill a Jewish soldier for nationalist-ideological reasons to become a martyr, acknowledging his earlier version was false. The court found his confession was given freely and voluntarily.

The conviction closes the case against Qariy for this terror attack, emphasizing the court's stance on ideological terrorism and rejecting mental health defenses in this context.