The State Attorney's Office filed an indictment with the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court against Majed Barkan, 25, from Jerusalem, who transported illegal residents from the Palestinian Authority during the Swords of Iron War.
One of the illegal residents he transported was Yahya Salah, a 19-year-old terrorist from Tulkarem who infiltrated Israel illegally and carried out a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv in January 2025.
According to the indictment filed by Attorney Aviv Bar-Or of the Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office, Barkan repeatedly transported illegal immigrants, who entered Israel without permission.
On January 18, 2025, at noon, he transported eight Palestinian Arabs from the Palestinian Authority, including Salah, who was carrying a knife hidden in a bag.
Barkan tried to disguise the purpose of his trip by attaching a yellow magnet to his vehicle – symbolizing support for the return of the hostages from Gaza, in order to give his vehicle an innocent appearance.
When he arrived in Tel Aviv, he dropped off the terrorist near the Gourmet Burger restaurant, where Salah pulled out a knife, walked up to a group of people at the entrance to the restaurant, and stabbed A.M., 28, in the neck in an attempt to murder him. The terrorist was shot and immediately neutralized.
At the same time, the prosecutor's office filed a request to detain Barkan until the end of proceedings. The request states that "the respondent was engaged in transporting illegal residents for over a month while being aware of the security danger and the difficult days entailed in the Sword of Iron War. Any reasonable person in this situation should have been aware of the possibility that this risk could materialize, and his behavior indicates his great danger."
The State Attorney’s office is demanding that Barkan be kept in custody, claiming that his conduct directly contributed to the execution of the attack in Tel Aviv and that he poses a serious danger.