Malek Hamed
Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg
Terrorist gets 2 life terms for deadly car-ramming
Malik Hamed convicted for the murder of Elhai Taharlev and for attempted murder of Roi Sasson at the Ofra Junction in April in a vehicular attack; Taharlev’s father: ‘May he never see the light of day.’
The terrorist who killed IDF soldier Elhai Taharlev in a car-ramming at the Ofra Junction in April, was given two life sentences on Wednesday.
Malik Hamed, 23, received one life sentence for the murder of the 20-year-old Golani soldier. He received the second life sentence for the attempted murder of Roi Sasson, another soldier who was with Taharlev, and two civilians who were also at the junction at the time.
He was also convicted of membership in the Hamas terror organization and of carrying out operations on behalf of Hamas.
Terrorist Malek Hamed in court (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)
The indictment filed against him in May details how he planned to carry out a deadly attack and claim the lives of as many Israelis as possible.
According to the indictment, Hamed went out with his car on several different occasions in search of a possible target for his attack.
On the morning of April 6, 2017, Hamed drove up and down the road, searching for Jews to murder, avoiding bus stops with concrete barriers that would prevent him from carrying out his plan.
Hamed continued searching for easier targets and eventually noticed a bus stop at the Ofra Junction where Taharlev and Sasson were standing, along with several civilians.
He veered from his path at high speed, drove in between the concrete barriers, and rammed into the soldiers, killing Taharlev on the spot and wounding Sasson.
Elhai Taharlev
Rabbi Ohad Taharlev, Elhai's father, said following the sentencing that "If he could've been sentenced to death, that would have been preferable. But since there is no death penalty in Israeli law, I'm glad the court accepted the prosecution's demand of two life sentences.
"Since the terrorist hurt the sanctity of life and cut short Elhai's life, I hope his entire life is empty, and that he never sees the light of day," Rabbi Taharlev added.
"I'm glad the court implied in its ruling that even if there is a future prisoner exchange deal, there is no reason for the terrorist to be freed under any deal, noting that 'We must hope this punishment will lead to the imprisonment of the defendant until his last days, in a way that befits the murderous deeds he committed,'" the father added.
The court also ordered Hamed to pay damages to the Taharlev family and to Sasson.
