Tel Aviv terrorist indicted
Raed Khalil, who stabbed Aharon Yisayev and Reuven Aviram to death in a terror attack in the Panorama building in Tel Aviv last month, has been indicted by the Tel Aviv District Court.
Khalil stabbed to death Aharon Yisayev, 32, and Reuven Aviram, 51, to death at the Panorama building on November 19. According to the indictment he took a 23cm-long knife from a kebab restaurant nearby and from there went to carry out the murderous attack.
The indictment also revealed that Khalil had an entry permit to Israel and four days prior to the attack had moved into an apartment with his brother in the Panorama building.
He decided to murder Jews in the home that he would be killed and recognized as a martyr.
After taking the knife from the restaurant, which he put in his coat pocket, Khalil went up to the second floor of the Panorama building in order to look for Jews. On exiting the lift he saw Aviram and attacked him, stabbing him several times.
Aviram managed to flee from Khalil, who chased after him, and ran towards the synagogue where around 20 people were worshiping at the time. He was able to call out "terrorist" before collapsing.
After then spotting Yisayev, the terrorist also attacked him, stabbing him nine times in his upper body. Khalil also attempted to murder other Israelis before being restrained by one of the business owners in the building.
Last week it was reported that Khalil told police investigators that he wanted to die as a martyr and that he'd thought the police would kill him. "It was my own idea, no one sent me," he told his interrogators.
"I was sure they would kill me, I apologize for what I've done," Khalil said.
The state attorney requested to extend Khalil's detention until the completion of proceedings against him, saying: "There is no need to spell out the seriousness of the actions of the defendant, who decided to go out and murder Jews in an attempt to be recognized as a 'martyr.' In a cruel and horrendous act the defendant stabbed the victims over and over."
Shimon Vaaknin, who was praying in the synagogue at the time, said on the day of the attack that the terrorist arrived with a knife and stabbed whoever was in his way. One of the injured ran inside the synagogue and the worshipers who spotted what was happening shut the door.
"A minute after we started to pray a man came in, covered in blood, and fell on the worshipers. One of us saw a terrorist with a huge knife trying to enter the synagogue and managed to close the door.
"Ten of us stood against the door, but he was strong and pushed, trying to get in. Some of the worshipers attended to the wounded man who was lying on the floor, putting some rags and cloths on his wounds."
