The prosecution unit of the Negev region of the Israel Police filed an indictment today (Sunday) against two defendants, residents of the city of Holon and Moshav Barkat, involved in stealing vehicles in the possession of families evacuated from the surrounding communities, some of whom were murdered by the Hamas terrorist organization on October 7.
This came at the conclusion of an investigation conducted by the central unit of the Negev region into the theft of vehicles from communities near the Gaza Strip during the "Iron Swords" war.
Police in action to seize the stolen vehicles, photo: Israel Police Spokesperson's Office
The commander of the Southern District, Major General Amir Cohen, ordered that all necessary measures be dealt with in an uncompromising manner and that all necessary measures be used against crime phenomena and property offenses committed by criminals who try to take advantage of the security situation in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip and commit criminal offenses – especially against criminals looting the property of residents of communities evacuated from their homes at the outbreak of the war.
The disaster at Kibbutz Be'eri // Oren Ben Hakon
At the end of November, police forces from the Negev Special Operations Unit and soldiers from the southern arm of the Border Police's Internal Security Division arrested two suspects in their 30s and 40s, and at the end of the investigation, as stated, an indictment was filed against them and a request for remand until the end of the proceedings, as well as a request for the forfeiture of a tow truck and a Land Cruiser vehicle, which were allegedly used by those involved in the offenses.
Those accused of theft - residents of Holon and Moshav Barkat, photo: Israel Police Spokesperson's Office
According to the indictment, the defendants operated under the guise of volunteers, as part of an activity aimed at assisting soldiers and civilians in various logistical missions, which included, inter alia, transferring equipment and towing terrorist vehicles that remained in the area of the surrounding communities. "The defendants conspired to steal vehicles remaining in the area of Kibbutz Be'eri and transfer them to the Palestinian Authority, taking advantage of their activity in the area and taking advantage of the access given to them to enter a closed military zone, with the assistance of other volunteers who operated in the area without their knowledge of the defendants' commission of the offenses," the indictment states.
In order to commit the offenses, the defendants loaded the stolen vehicles onto a tow truck owned by a towing company owned by one of the defendants, and stole five vehicles belonging to families evacuated from the kibbutz, some of which were murdered by terrorists of the Hamas terrorist organization.
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