Israeli Authorities Charge Palestinian Driver with Murder After Deadly Hit-and-Run of Illegal Passengers

The Israeli State Prosecutor's Office filed charges against Basel Shawarma, a 27-year-old resident of Dura in the West Bank, accusing him of intentional murder, two attempted murders, and additional offenses. According to the indictment submitted to the Beersheba District Court, Shawarma was driving illegally inside Israel without a valid license and was transporting 18 illegal migrants from Dura into Israel through a breach in the separation barrier using a vehicle with forged license plates.

During the trip, one passenger, Mohammad Sarha, fell ill and asked Shawarma to stop, but he initially refused due to fear of being caught by security forces. After stopping, a verbal altercation ensued, with Shawarma reportedly cursing the passengers and expressing indifference to Sarha's condition. Later, near Kibbutz Dvira, a physical confrontation occurred, during which Shawarma was injured on the head. After re-entering the vehicle, he allegedly drove recklessly toward fleeing passengers in a nearby grove, striking and injuring several.

Sarha and two others fled uphill, but Shawarma accelerated and hit all three with his car. Sarha was thrown to the ground and then run over by the vehicle's wheels, resulting in his death at the scene despite emergency medical response. Shawarma also attempted to run over Sarha's brother and continued chasing other fleeing passengers before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing the scene.

The indictment charges Shawarma with intentional murder, two counts of attempted murder, multiple counts of aggravated assault, illegal presence in Israel, transporting illegal migrants under aggravating circumstances, driving without a license, and driving an unregistered vehicle. The investigation was conducted by the Rotem Unit, with unit commander Superintendent David Abraham emphasizing the swift and professional work leading to Shawarma's arrest and the strong evidentiary case against him. The prosecution seeks to hold him accountable for his violent actions against the illegal migrants he was transporting.