Suha Khder, mother of murdered teen Mohammed,
Suha Khder, mother of murdered teen Mohammed,Reuters

Six suspects were in custody Sunday night on suspicion of being involved in the murder of Mohammed Abu Khder. The six were arrested earlier Sunday.

According to Channel Ten news, police were granted a request Sunday afternoon to extend the remand of five of the six for eight days. The sixth one will remain in custody for five days. Earlier reports said that three of the six had been released. Reports also said that the six are mostly members of an extended family, and live in Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and the town of Adam in the Binyamin region.

Police sources have also said that the six “connected themselves” to the incident. Channel Two said that one of the six confessed to the crime and implicated the others.

The Honenu rights organization, which often represents suspects in alleged “price tag” and other incidents, has taken it upon itself to represent the suspects in this case as well. At a press conference Sunday, Honenu attorney Uri Keinan said he was still learning details of the investigation. “At this stage we cannot discuss the details of the investigation, considering the fact that we have not even met the clients yet,” he said. However, he said that he had no doubt that his clients were innocent. “At the end of the investigation we are sure that our clients will be proven to have had no connection to the incident whatsoever and will be free to go,” he said.

Working with Keinan will be attorney Adi Keidar. “We are still learning the details of the case,” he said. “From what we understand the police and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) are having difficulty connecting the suspects with this specific incident. I am very hopeful that the other lines of investigation that have been raised will be pursued as well. If my clients are found not to have any connection to this incident the authorities will have to explain to them and their families why they were arrested in the first place.”