Development in the difficult case: Kidnapped, murdered and hid the body in a barrel

A court extended the arrest of Saleh Othman, a resident of East Jerusalem, suspected of kidnapping and murdering Fatima Rajabi. According to the suspicion, the motive for the murder was a debt of tens of thousands of shekels. Rajabi's body was found inside an industrial barrel in the At-Tur area. The suspect reenacted his actions.

The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court extended the arrest of Saleh Othman, a technician and resident of East Jerusalem, until October 1, 2026, on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering Fatima Rajabi. According to the suspicion, the motive for the murder was a debt of tens of thousands of shekels. Rajabi was initially defined as missing, and after Othman's arrest, her body was located in East Jerusalem. The suspect reenacted his actions before the investigators and led them to the scene, where her body was found inside an industrial barrel in the At-Tur area, not far from his home. During his investigation, the suspect claimed he was drunk at the time of the act. The investigation also raised a further suspicion that after the murder, Othman took Rajabi's credit card and withdrew cash. Rajabi's family claimed that the debt was about 60,000 shekels and that the suspect was deep in gambling-related debts. The family also claimed that after the murder, gold jewelry and cash were stolen from Rajabi. These claims are being examined as part of the investigation.