Terrorist gets two life terms for 2015 murder

An IDF military court on Sunday sentenced one of the terrorists who murdered Israeli civilian Malachi Rosenfeld in 2015 to two life terms, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.

Maad Hamad, confessed and was convicted of intentionally causing the death of Rosenfeld by shooting at a car near the Shvut Rahel settlement. Rosenfeld, 27, died of his wounds in Shaare Zedek Medical Center and three passengers traveling with him were injured. Hamad was also convicted for the attempted murder of the injured men.

Hamad was also ordered to pay Rosenfeld’s family and the other victims are to receive NIS 1,090,000 in compensation.

Hamad was also convicted for his membership in the Hamas terrorist organization. He set up the four-man cell on behalf of Hamas that planned attacks against Israeli targets. Hamad was also prosecuted for shooting at an ambulance at Beit El in the same month as the attack.

According to a 2017 report in The Jerusalem Post, Hamad was taken into custody by the Palestinian Authority in 2015.

Another cell member, Amjad Hamad, was sentenced to a life term in 2017 and was fined NIS 325,000 in compensatory damages and NIS 25,000 in punitive damages. Two other cell members were indicted in 2015 and one was sentenced to life in 2017.

The mastermind and bankroller of the attack that killed Rosenfeld was Ahmed Najar, a Hamas terrorist who resides in Jordan and sentenced to six life sentences but who was released in the Gilad Schalit prisoner swap deal.

Rosenfeld was a resident of Kochav Hashahar and he and his friends were on their way home from a basketball game when the terrorists opened fire on them from close range.