Indictments filed against suspects involved in July stabbing
Two suspects arrested, indicted for involvement in stabbing of 33-year-old man near Jerusalem's Damascus Gate. Victim sustained injuries, hopes suspects 'rot in prison'
Cleared for publication: The Jerusalem District Police arrested Sultan Abu Hamus, 19, and Mahmoud Rajbi, 18, two east Jerusalem residents, for involvement in the July stabbing
of Moshe Limoui, 33, near the Damascus Gate of the capital's Old City.
The two were indicted in the Jerusalem District Court for attempted murder, along with two others. During questioning, Hamus and Rajbi admitted to having been involved in the stabbing.
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The stabbing took place in July, as the victim was walking out of the Western Wall with a friend. When the two were crossing the Damascus Gate, they were attacked and Limoui was stabbed.
Moshe Limoui in hospital (Photo: Noam Dvir)
Scene of stabbing (Photo: Gil Yoahanan)
Limoui said Monday he was thankful to the police for finding the assailant and that he was "hoping to hear these people were not set free, but are rather rotting in prison. I still have pain. It's not easy to live with, but I'm doing my best."
According to the indictment, a day before the stabbing, Abu Hamus was detained by the police during a riot in the Old City. According to Abu Hamus, after police had detained him for just passing by, he and his friend Ahmad Abid devised a plan to go back to the Damascus Gate and kill a Jew.
On the day of the stabbing, Abu Hamus, Abid, Rajbi and others tookn a cab from Issawiya to central Jerusalem and started looking for a victim, the indictment noted. The suspects said that though police and soldiers were on the premises, they were afraid that if they stabbed an officer, the security forces would retaliate with gunfire, and therefore decided to wait for a civilian.
At approximately 8:45 pm, three haredim were walking by, at which point Abid sent Rajbi uphill to alert his friends if any officers arrived. Abid then attacked Limoui, stabbing him several times in his torso and attempting to stab him in the neck.
As Limoui was trying to defend himself, he was stabbed in his arm. Abu Hamus then shoved Limoui to the floor.
Upon returning to Issawiya, Abu Hamus changed his clothes, storing those he was wearing during the attack at his sister's house. He and Abid then cut their hair to change their appearances.
Abu Hamus is charged with attempted murder and Rajbi is charged with aggravated assault.
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