A resident of the Negev who admitted to carrying out a terror attack in Arad in November that claimed the life of IDF soldier Sgt. Ron Yitzhak Kokia, revealed that he originally intended to kidnap him, it was cleared for publication on Friday after a gag order was lifted from the investigation’s details.
Khaled Abu Jaudah stabbed 19-year-old Kokia to death outside a shopping mall on November 30 as he waited for a bus in what police initially concluded was likely a nationalistically-motivated murder. An indictment is expected to be served against him and his half brother Zahi on Sunday.
In the attack, Kokia’s weapons was stolen and less than 24 hours later, Israeli security forces arrested two suspects, both of whom are Israeli citizens from the Negev without any known record of involvement in terror-related activities.
The investigation revealed that Khaled identified with terror organizations and that he harbored extremist views. Zahi Jaudah will be indicted for assisting his half brother in the attack.
Khaled originally planned to kidnap a soldier by using anesthesia to which he had access in Soroka University Medical Center in Be’er Sheva where he was gaining work experience for his studies. He planned to use him as a bargaining chip to secure the release of Palestinian security prisoners.
“This was a student from a college in Ashkelon who does not work in the hospital. He came for work experience for his studies and stayed in the hospital for two weeks,” a spokesperson from Soroka Medical Center said.
Revising his plan, Khaled intended to kill the kidnapped soldier and use his rifle to carry out more attacks.
He purchased a vehicle in which he intended to escape after the attack and his a stash of money he intended to use for living while on the run.