Military prosecutors have filed an indictment against terrorist Shadi Juma for his role in the November 2007 murder of Ido Zoldan, bringing formal charges nearly 18 years after the deadly attack. The indictment was submitted Thursday evening following Juma’s recent capture by Israeli security forces.

The charges became possible after Juma was arrested roughly six weeks ago in Qalqilya during a joint operation conducted by the IDF, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), and the Gideonim Unit.

Israeli authorities said Juma was taken into custody immediately after completing a lengthy prison term in Palestinian Authority custody, where he had been incarcerated continuously since the time of the attack.

According to the indictment, the murder was not spontaneous but the result of extensive planning and a deliberate roadside ambush. “On November 19, 2007, Juma joined two additional accomplices, and together they formulated a detailed operational plan to carry out a targeted shooting attack against Jewish residents traveling on the main roads. The defendant and his accomplices traveled together to obtain weapons and prepare the vehicle that would be used both to carry out the attack and to facilitate their escape, while coordinating among themselves the manner in which the shooting would be executed and the specific weapons to be used,” the indictment states.

The indictment goes on to describe how the terror cell searched for Israeli targets before carrying out the fatal attack. “After completing the logistical preparations, the three members of the cell went into the field to locate vehicles driven by Israeli civilians. They agreed in advance that they would positively confirm the victim’s Jewish identity before opening fire, and they began lying in wait for passing vehicles. After identifying the car driven by the late Ido Zoldan, they closed in on it with their own vehicle. At that point, one of Juma’s accomplices opened fire at close range directly at Zoldan with the intent to kill him. As a result of the shooting, Ido Zoldan was killed. Immediately after carrying out the attack, Juma and his accomplices fled the scene.”

Military prosecutors have charged Juma with “causing death with intent while acting in concert,” the offense under military law that is equivalent to a murder charge.

{Matzav.com}