Itongadol.- Two Palestinians accused of murdering IDF Colonel (res.) Saraya Ofer in the Jordan Valley last month, originally planned the crime as a robbery, but decided to commit the murder "as a gift to the Palestinian people" when they realized that Ofer was a senior IDF officer, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) revealed on Thursday.
The two suspects, Oda Frid Taalb Haruv, 18, and Bashir Ahmad Oda Haruv, 21, were arrested by the Shin Bet two weeks after the murder.
During their interrogation, the two suspects admitted that two weeks prior to the murder they traveled to Ofer\’s home in the vacation village of Brosh Habika to gather information and planned a violent robbery. Once they realized that the home belonged to a senior military officer, they plotted to murder him and his wife "as a present to the Palestinian people and for Hamas\’s prisoners in honor of the [the Muslim holiday] Eid al-Fitr". They admitted to praying for success before committing the murder.
On the evening of Oct. 10, the two suspects arrived at Ofer\’s home and attacked him and his wife with metal bars and axes. His wife managed to escape. She is currently still hospitalized for wounds sustained during the attack.
According to the Shin Bet, the suspects considered escaping to Jordan after the murder, but instead called a friend, Mahmad Avad Raba Shuamra, 27, for a ride from the area and went back to Shuamra\’s east Jerusalem home with him and changed their clothes. Shuamra was also arrested and questioned.
In the upcoming days the investigation will be turned over to the State Attorney\’s Office and the suspects will be charged, the Shin Bet stated.