The military court in Shomron (Samaria) sentenced Adham Yunis of Ilar to five life sentences in prison on Monday for his role in planning a deadly terror attack in Netanya in 2005. In addition, he was sentenced to 20 more years in jail.
The attack was perpetrated on December 5, 2005, by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive belt at the entrance to HaSharon mall in Netanya. It was the second such attack on the same mall in less than six months. On July 12, 2005, a suicide bomber had blown up at the entrance to the mall, also killing five people.
Yunis was a member of a terror cell belonging to the Islamic Jihad organization. He was in contact with the group’s headquarters in Syria, which sent him money through go-betweens to pay for his terrorist activity. At a meeting with fellow Islamic Jihad terrorists, he agreed to guide the suicide bomber towards the target in Israel.
The planners, including Yunis, decided to strike civilians at HaSharon mall. Yunis accompanied the suicide bomber to the mall after both had changed their appearances to look less suspicious. When they were near the mall, Yunis told the terrorist to wait before detonating his bomb, in order to let him get as far away as possible first.
Security guard moves in
Yunis aroused the suspicion of a policewoman, Shoshana Atia, who called the mall’s security squad. One of the guards, Chaim Amram, grabbed hold of the terrorist and tried to push him away from the crowd at the entrance. The terrorist then detonated his explosive belt, killing Amram and four other civilians and injuring 91 others.
Adham was also found guilty of two additional charges, involving the planning of suicide bombings and terrorist attacks by gunfire.
Judge Maj. Dalia Kaufman – with the agreement of other judges in the panel – explained the sentencing by writing that “the court cannot help but express disgust with the accused’s actions and his determination to take lives… His punishment should serve as a deterrent to others, lest they join nefarious plans intended only to sow death and destruction. The principle of the sanctity of life requires that we sentence the accused to a life sentence for every soul he took from the world.”