IDF indicts father of fugitive Barkan terrorist

Indictment says he knew his son had been practicing on a rifle, wanted to carry out attack

The father of the fugitive Barkan terrorist was indicted in a West Bank military court on Thursday for failing to prevent the attack and for obstruction of justice, the IDF said.

According to the indictment, the father of 23-year-old Ashraf Walid Suleiman Na’alwa knew that he had been practicing on a rifle, and that he wanted to carry out an attack.

In addition, Na’awla’s father is accused of attempting to sell his son’s vehicle and when he failed, he tried to hide it.

“This indictment joins additional indictments in the case against other suspects who did not prevent the attack,” read the military’s statement, adding that the prosecution has requested that Na’awla’s father be remanded until the end of the proceedings.

The father’s indictment comes after Na’awla’s mother and brother were also indicted on charges that they knew of the plan and did not try to prevent the attack.

“Two weeks before the attack, the terrorist indicated that he intended to carry out an attack and die as a martyr,” read the statement released by the IDF at the time.

According to the indictment, Na’alwa’s mother knew that he had weapons and was training to use them.

Two weeks before the attack she is said to have informed the defendant’s brother of his intentions to carry out the attack and die as a martyr.

The military statement says that neither of them attempted to contact authorities to prevent the attack.

Na’alwa’s brother is also being charged with obstruction of justice after attempting to hide footage from the family home’s security cameras.

“These indictments join other indictments against other suspects who did not prevent the attack,” the statement read.

In early October, 23-year-old Ashraf Walid Suleiman Na’alwa from West Bank village of Shuweika near Tulkarm, shot dead Kim Levengrond-Yehezkel, 29, of Rosh Ha’ayin, and Ziv Hajbi, 35, from Rishon Lezion.

He also is suspected of shooting a third woman, seriously injuring her.

Na’alwa, who had a permit to work at the Barkan park where he had been employed as an electrician for the past seven months at a factory run by the Alon Group, is said to have forced an Arab employee to tie up Levengrond-Yehezkel and Hajbi before he shot them, and fled the scene with the Carl-Gustav weapon he used.

He has been on the run from authorities for more than a month.

The Border Police’s counter-terrorism Yamam unit; troops from the Israel Defense Forces’ elite Duvdevan, Lotar and Oketz units; and Shin Bet forces are participating in the manhunt.

The IDF has ordered the partial demolition of the family home. The demolition of the home will be limited to basement and ground floor.