Three Arab Israelis to be charged for assisting June terror attack in central Israel

Indictments set to be filed against man from Baqa al-Gharbiyye who supplied gun used to kill reservist, and 2 Tayibe men who knew about attack plans and did not intervene

Israel Police and the Shin Bet announced Thursday that three Arab Israelis were set to be charged for assisting the terrorist who went on a shooting spree in central Israel early last month, killing one man and wounding several others.

Omar Mundar Yassin of the Arab town of Tayibe opened fire on people at a gas station near Kochav Ya’ir and outside the communities of Tzur Yitzhak and Tzur Natan on June 7. A civil defense squad member was killed and five were injured.

Yassin was shot dead by security forces at the scene.

After the attack, the Shin Bet and police arrested three alleged conspirators on suspicion of involvement in the attack.

Muhammad Aftima of Baqa al-Gharbiyye supplied Yassin with the makeshift “Carlo” submachine gun used in the attack, authorities said Thursday.

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Authorities added that two men from Tayibe, Alaa al-Din Jaheim and Weam Masarwa, were aware of Yassin’s intention to carry out an attack and took no action to prevent it.

The statement said that indictments against the three suspects would be filed Thursday.

It added that the Shin Bet and police “gravely view any involvement of Israeli citizens in activities that endanger the security of the state and the public,” and said that the two agencies will “continue to take all measures to thwart any threat.”

The victim of the June attack was Master Sgt. (res.) Haim Kalomiti, 55, a married father of three and reservist soldier from Tzur Natan who served in the IDF’s Ephraim Regional Brigade as a “regional defense soldier” — a reservist recruited by the military to defend their community in the West Bank or along the border. Tzur Natan is located adjacent to the West Bank security barrier.

Alongside Kalomiti, the security coordinator for Tzur Natan was severely wounded in the attack, according to the military.

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