Luai Halabi, owner of the Karaj Abu Khattab garage in Huwara, where Shai and Aviad Nigerker were murdered in Saturday's attack two weeks ago, told Israel Hayom that there was no connection between him and the terrorist who murdered the two, and says that he was not physically present at the time of the attack. "My wife called me and said there was no electricity in the house. I went to the village to take care of it and left my employee in the garage," he recalls.
"Meanwhile, at this time, my employee calls me and tells me there was a shooting in the garage. I took myself, got in the car and went back toward Huwara, where the checkpoint was closed. I phoned the police to let them know I owned the garage and then they opened the road for me.
Documentation of the attack in Huwara in which father and son were murdered
"When I arrived, the army was there, I have good, clear cameras, they took everything out and took the video. Until that moment, I didn't know if those who were killed were Arabs or Jews," Luai says. According to him, about six months ago, the terrorist's father and brother came to repair their car in his garage, but beyond that he had no acquaintance with him.
Luai is not a resident of Huwara. He lives with his family in the village of Rujib, south of Nablus. He himself was arrested following the attack and released at the end of the interrogation. He now talks about the minutes leading up to the attack, and about the conversation that took place between the terrorist and the garage worker while Shai and Aviad waited for their car to be serviced.
"The terrorist went into the garage, looked around and turned to my employee and told him: These two I tried to talk to them, but they don't answer, they don't talk. Then the employee told him: How can they talk, they don't understand Arabic. Then the terrorist asked: Where is Abu Khattab (the nickname of Luai, the garage owner), and the worker replied: Not here. Why? Then he claimed his car was broken down and wanted to get it repaired," Luai says.
Relatives of those killed in the attack in Huwara find it difficult to digest // Credit: Yaniv Zohar
Later, the terrorist asked if there was water. The garage worker replied in the affirmative, and he went inside for a drink. According to Luai, the employee said the terrorist carried a bag on his back and looked tense. "Something about his face, the way he spoke was a little weird, like he was afraid of something."
"If I were there I would break his arms and legs, I don't want problems in my business, the place from which I make a living and in which I invested several hundred thousand shekels," says Luai. "Since it happened, no one has come into my garage, people are worried, and work has stopped, there are no customers. I have many Jewish acquaintances and friends and they call and tell me they're afraid to come and fix their car." He also noted that if the situation continued like this, he would be forced to move his business elsewhere.
Documentation: Arrest of the owner of the car wash used in the attack in Huwara // Arab networks
Meanwhile, the hunt for the terrorist continues. Palestinian sources reported that the Bani Fadel family from the village of Aqraba, south of Nablus, was informed by Israeli security officials that their son, Osama, was suspected of carrying out the attack, and their home had been mapped for demolition.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us