Agam Tzarfi, a 19-year-old soldier, is suspected of ordering the murder of her boyfriend, Benayahu Razi, also 19, in Jerusalem. The two had been involved in what investigators described as a toxic relationship marked by mutual police complaints.
Tzarfi’s sister, a police officer, was questioned by the Justice Ministry’s Police Internal Investigations Department on suspicion of obstructing the murder investigation. Investigators suspect she met with two other female detainees shortly after Razi was beaten to death. She was released after questioning under restrictive conditions.
Razi was killed inside a rental apartment in Jerusalem’s Nahlaot neighborhood. Investigators suspect he was attacked with a meat tenderizing mallet, knives and clubs. “The attackers met the girlfriend and her friend while armed with knives, clubs and a meat mallet,” police said.
Jerusalem District Police Commander Maj. Gen. Avshalom Peled and his deputy arrived at the scene after the killing, which occurred during an altercation last Saturday. Police have arrested seven suspects in connection with the murder, including several minors and the mother of one of them.
Investigators suspect the mother acted as an intermediary between the female detainees and the other suspects and helped them escape after the killing. Police also believe the murder was broadcast live to two young women.
It was reported earlier this week that Razi filed a police complaint against Tzarfi in September 2025, alleging that she was harassing him and threatening his life. He also told investigators that several men had once arrived at his home and threatened to kill him.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Shilat Huta, 19, and Linor Sasson, 50, were among those suspected of involvement in the murder. Sasson was convicted in late 2024 under a plea agreement after establishing a high-interest loan operation with her son and extorting financially vulnerable borrowers who were unable to repay their debts. Another suspect told police during questioning that Razi had drawn a knife first.
Dekla, Razi’s mother, told ynet on Wednesday that her son’s murder represented a serious police failure.
“The writing was on the wall. We warned them,” she said. “I don’t know why nothing was done. I had already provided material to the police on August 25. Had they acted in time and imposed the necessary penalties, we might have been able to prevent this despicable murder.”
She said every new detail about the killing only deepened the family’s anguish. “It has become inhuman, barbaric,” she said. “From what I have heard from the police and the media, they did not only use knives. They also struck him with meat mallets. They stabbed him in cold blood and walked away.”
“To my understanding, there was also a recording or a live video call,” she added. “This is far beyond organized crime. It is like a horror movie. Where does such evil come from? Maybe it comes from their homes. I know that I raised my son properly. He was a wonderful child.”
‘He did not want to be anywhere she was’
Dekla said her son was not easily frightened and may not have believed that the dispute could end in murder. “Benayahu was not a child who was afraid because it never crossed his mind that something this terrible could happen,” she said.
Still, she said, he shared the address of the family’s new home only with their closest relatives, changed his phone number and avoided places where he might encounter Tzarfi. “I’m not sure he thought it would reach this point,” she said. “Maybe he knew something could happen, but he was not truly afraid. He did not want disputes or confrontations.”
Scene of Razi's murder
(Photo: Gil Yohanan)
A close friend of Razi was also inside the apartment at the time, according to his mother, although she said she had not spoken with him since the murder. “I am sure he is also in a very fragile condition,” she said.
Speaking about Tzarfi, Dekla said her son had denied that the two were in a relationship. “He told me, ‘Mom, she isn’t my girlfriend at all. She just wanted to date me,’” she said.
Dekla said she had spoken with Tzarfi several times about three years earlier and initially regarded her as an ordinary member of her son’s social circle. “She seemed normal, regular, part of the group,” she said. “But when he began to understand her behavior and way of life, it did not suit him.”
“When she called me, I told her, ‘Listen, you are not right for him and he is not right for you. It should not be forced. You are a beautiful girl. Move on,’” Dekla recalled.
“For two years, she drove us out of our minds. Where is your self-respect? It is over. He obtained restraining orders against you, told you explicitly, blocked you and all your friends, changed his number and did not give you his address. What do you understand from that? Why this obsession? Why?”