Rocket launched from Gaza Strip (Archives)
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Gazan who fired rocket at Sderot gets 28 years
Dafaa Abu Adra, who fired Qassam at southern city, mortar shells at IDF post, planted bombs against Israeli soldiers, is convicted of attempted murder, sentenced to 28 years in prison
The Beersheba District Court sentenced 25-year-old Gaza resident Dafaa Abu Adra to 28 years in prison on Wednesday after he was convicted of several counts of attempted murder and serving as an accomplice in additional attempts during 2007.
Abu Adra was involved in the launching of a Qassam rocket that exploded in Sderot, mortar shells fired at an Israeli post, the activation of explosives against military forces and more.
In one incident, Abu Adra tried to harm an IDF force using a 25 kilogram explosive device. In another instance, he assisted a terror operative in planting a 20 kilogram explosive device. In both cases, the bombs were never activated.
In another incident, Abu Adra conspired with another terror operative to carry out a suicide attack. The attack was not executed due to IDF activity in the area.
Southern District Prosecution representative, Attorney Ravit Marom, requested that the court punish Abu Adra to the full extent of the law. She argued that he operated for a long period of time in an attempt to harm the State's security, its citizens and its soldiers.
She added that Abu Adra operated not only against soldiers, but against civilians, and residents of Sderot in particular. She said he was the one who pulled the trigger and launched the rocket that exploded in Sderot, "And it is a miracle that no one was hurt."
Abu Adra's attorney argued that the rocket that was fired at Sderot was a minor incident that should be not be "taken out of proportion," since the rocket launched was not a standard one and would not have caused serious damage.
He said the 25 kg bomb "was not big" and that it was meant to hurt soldiers entering the Strip, not troops on patrol. He added that, ultimately, no damage was caused.
In their verdict, the judges wrote, "The defense tried to belittle the severity of his actions by claiming that the rocket in question was not a standard one and would cause less damage."
The judges said they took Abu Adra's confession and his remorse into consideration, and sentenced him to 28 years in prison.
