Ambushed, shot, and returned to torch the car: IDF soldier suspected of murder in the north

A 24-year-old IDF soldier from Bir al-Maksur is suspected of involvement in the murder of Ali Swaed, against the backdrop of a conflict between crime organizations. According to the suspicion, he ambushed Isam Hujirat, shot him in front of his home, and fled. After the abandoned vehicle was located, the suspect was arrested when he returned to set it on fire. The Haifa District Attorney's Office is expected to file an indictment.

A 24-year-old IDF soldier, a resident of Bir al-Maksur, is suspected of involvement in the murder of Ali Swaed, against the backdrop of a conflict that flared up between the Swaed-Khalidi crime organizations. According to the suspicion, on August 12, 2026, in the early morning hours, several suspects ambushed Isam Hujirat as he left his home. A vehicle blocked his path, one of the suspects got out and shot at him, and they fled. Hujirat was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators located the abandoned vehicle in a forest near Bir al-Maksur, and arrested a suspect who arrived at the scene, allegedly to burn the vehicle. After 40 days of detention and the consolidation of an evidentiary foundation, the Haifa District Attorney's Office submitted a prosecutor's statement regarding the intention to file an indictment. Police Commissioner, Chief Superintendent Danny Levy, praised the officers of the Lahav 433 National Crime Unit for solving three murder cases within the bloody conflict, and emphasized that the police will continue the fight against crime and violence in Arab society.