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Tel Aviv Bus Bombing Suspect Indicted

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Tel Aviv bus bombing suspect arrestedA teenager from the Israeli Arab city of Taibe has been indicted for last month’s terrorist bombing of a Tel Aviv bus that was filled with dozens of passengers. At least 26 people were injured in the blast.

According to the court papers, Mohammed Mafarja stepped aboard Dan bus #142, which travels from Ramat Gan to Tel Aviv, the day after his 18th birthday with several bombs in his bag as it traveled through the city on the final day of Operation Pillar of Defense.

After planting the explosives, Mafarja continued on his way to work, activating one of the explosives via a cell phone about ten minutes later as the bus reached Shaul HaMelech Street, opposite the Kirya military base, the indictment alleged. After the explosion, he boarded a train from Tel Aviv to Modi’in, arriving at the McDonald’s restaurant where he worked at about 2:00 PM. The young man was arrested just five hours afterwards.

A student at Bir Zeit University near the Palestinian Authority capital of Ramallah in Samaria (Shomron), Mafarja had spent the prior two months living at his uncle’s home in Beit Lakiya, according to the court papers.

During Israel’s counter-terror operation to silence the rocket and mortar fire aimed at southern Israel, the young student allegedly told grocery store owner Ahmed Moussa he wanted to join the Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Moussa told Mafarja to return later so he could “guide” him on how to fulfill his desire – and asked the student to leave a bag with the bombs wrapped in clothing on a bus as his first test. Subsequently notified that the bag had been placed, Moussa immediately detonated the bomb with his cell phone.

In his appearance before the Tel Aviv District Court, Mafarja was charged with multiple counts of attempted murder, aiding the enemy during wartime, and conspiracy to commit a crime, causing an explosion, aggravated assault, illegally transporting weapons and giving assistance to an illegal organization. If convicted on the charge of aiding the enemy during wartime, Mafarja could face life in prison.

Three Palestinians from Judea and Samaria were arrested together with Mafarja last month and remain in police custody, according to a police spokesman. They are suspected of recruiting the teenager to conduct the bombing. Prosecutors claimed that the three were part of a Ramallah “military cell” that additionally plotted to commit suicide bombings and shooting attacks against government officials and soldiers.

A date for the trial has not yet been set, and Mafarja’s attorney requested a three week interval to study the charge sheet. The attorney said that his client may not have actually intended to destroy the bus. “It appears that he did not know that the content of the bag would lead to such a result,” lawyer Ihab Jaljouli told reporters at the Tel Aviv District Court.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Mafarja confessed to the crime during interrogation by Shin Bet officials. The Shin Bet disclosed that Moussa learned how to construct the remote-detonated bomb by viewing videos on the Internet. The medium-sized bomb was packed with over 800 screws and employed fireworks components as its explosive ingredient.

Moussa also attempted to recruit potential suicide bombers from such sources as Mafarja’s fellow students at Bir Zeit’s student population, but he was unsuccessful. The Shin Bet also alleged that the grocery store owner was plotting to carry out a drive-by shooting of soldiers in Judea and Smaria.

Amira Castro, who was a witness to the November 21 bus bombing, was walking through the courthouse when she was informed that the main suspect had just been indicted. Asked how she felt to learn that the suspected perpetrator may be facing several life sentences, Castro, who revealed that she still has nightmares about the bombing, said, “What does it give me? I’m still traumatized.”

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