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An Israeli court on Tuesday handed down life sentences on two terrorists, cousins, who carried out a fatal attack in Ra'anana in January 2024. Ahmed Zidat and Mahmoud Zidat, residents of the West bank, murdered Edna Bluestein, 79, a social worker from Raanana and injured over a dozen others, in their killing spree. The court also ordered them to pay 2.3 million shekels in compensation.
They began their killing spree by commandeering a vehicle from a distraught and traumatized woman. One of the terrorists is seen in security camera footage near a car wash where he was employed, throwing the woman out of her car and beginning to drive erratically against oncoming traffic.
At the same time, his cousin went on to attack people standing at a bus stop, killing 79-year old Edna Bluestein and wounding 18 others.
"We cannot forget Edna Bluestein's image when we come to decide the sentence on the accused, for their heinous crimes," the judges said. They also spoke of the wounded. "One of them who immigrated to Israel rather than completing his studies, is now being treated for his injuries in the Loewenstein rehabilitation hospital and others, such as a girl who is only 10-years old, was wounded in her legs."
They said the defendants acted "out of terrible hatred for Israel and the desire to identify with the October 7 attack, while Israel was still mourning its dead and concerned for its hostages."
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Terrorist aprehended after fatal attack in Raanana
The men were found guilty last July for the attack that took place on two sides of the city. They were also convicted of two additional attempted attacks that had not occurred, one against security forces in the West Bank and the other targeting the Arabic language IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Avihai Adrai.
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They pled guilty to the charges of aggravated murder and terrorism, crimes that automatically carry live sentences and additional charges of terrorism, attempted murder, aggravated assault and the illegal possession of a knife for racial motives.
The state prosecutor said the court decided on especially harsh sentences for a cruel terror attack carried out at a sensitive time, after the October 7 massacre, which he said compounded the gravity of their crimes.