According to a report by The Times of Israel, a 26-year-old man from Rahat has been charged with aggravated murder after allegedly shooting a man in front of his family as they returned home from grocery shopping.
Prosecutors identified the defendant as Zahran Bakhiri, who is accused of killing 41-year-old Ahmad Abu Jaber on March 2. The victim had been driving with his mother and four children at the time of the incident, which occurred shortly before their evening iftar meal.
According to the charges, Bakhiri spotted Abu Jaber at around noon when both vehicles stopped at an intersection near the victim’s home. Prosecutors allege that Bakhiri exited his car and opened fire at close range using a handgun.
Abu Jaber reportedly fled his vehicle and attempted to take cover, but the suspect continued shooting while members of the victim’s family were nearby. The attack unfolded in front of his children and mother, who were in the vehicle at the time.
Abu Jaber was critically wounded in the shooting and was transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
During the incident, Abu Jaber’s daughter was also injured. Prosecutors state that she sustained serious facial injuries while attempting to shield her younger brothers from the gunfire.
Authorities allege that the attack was motivated by a longstanding conflict between the families of the suspect and the victim. Prior to the shooting, Abu Jaber had reportedly moved to another neighborhood within the city in an effort to distance himself from the ongoing dispute.
Bakhiri has been formally charged at the Beersheba District Court. The charges against him include aggravated murder, causing severe injury to a minor, shooting in a residential area in a life-threatening manner, and illegal possession and use of a firearm.