Full Breakdown
Jerusalem Court Sentences Minor for 2018 Terrorist Stone-Throwing Attack
9/10/2026, 5:08:52 AM
Core Event
The Central District Court in Lod sentenced a male defendant to 13 years in prison for the killing of Palestinian mother Aysha Rabi. The court also ordered payment of NIS 258,000 in compensation to the Rabi family and imposed an additional suspended term. The defendant, whose identity is protected because he was a minor at the time, was 15 years and 10 months old when he threw a two-kilogram rock through the windshield of a car on October 12 2018, striking Rabi in the head as she sat beside her husband Yacoub Rabi and their nine-year-old daughter. The court classified the offenses—manslaughter, aggravated stone-throwing, and vehicle damage—as terrorism-related.
Background & Context
According to the judgment, the minor positioned himself with two or three unidentified companions on an embankment overlooking Route 60 near the West Bank settlement of Rehelim. He identified the target vehicle by its Palestinian license plate before hurling the rock. The attack was deemed motivated by nationalist intent, with the court noting the cruelty of killing a woman in front of her family and the broader risk of escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence. The sentencing follows earlier convictions of Jewish perpetrators of anti-Palestinian violence, including the 2014 murder of Muhammad Abu Khadir and the 2015 Dawabsheh family killings.
Official Statements & Responses
Yacoub Rabi, in a victim-impact statement, said no monetary sum could compensate for his wife’s loss.
Criticism & Opposition
Honenu lawyer Adi Keidar argued that the DNA evidence linking the minor to the rock was weak, noting that DNA recovered from a moving object is of lower resolution and could originate from multiple sources. A Honenu spokesperson added that no other evidence directly connected the minor to the crime. The defense maintains the conviction is wrongful and plans to appeal to the Supreme Court, citing a dissenting judge’s detailed opinion as a basis for overturning the majority ruling.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The court sent a clear and unequivocal message today, reflecting the severity of the defendant’s actions and the grave and tragic outcome of the attack, which claimed Aysha Rabi’s life.” — Central District Attorney’s Office
- “This was an act of terrorism carried out for nationalist reasons against Rabi, a Palestinian woman traveling with her family.” — Prosecutors
