Photo Credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90
Baruch Mizrachi Funeral

Israel Police have arrested Ziad Awad, one of the 1,027 terrorists released two-and-a-half years ago in exchange for IDF hostage Gilad Shalit, on suspicion that Awad was responsible for the murder of Baruch Mizrahi  on Passover eve near Hebron.

Mizrahi, a senior police officer, was on his way to a holiday Seder meal when he was ambushed and murdered, reportedly by Awad, a resident of Idna, an Arab village near Hebron.

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Mizrahi’s wife was also wounded in the attack.

Baruch Mizrachi

Police said Monday that they unearthed the signs that identified Awad as Mizrahi’s killer during the manhunt for Eyal Yifrah, Gil-Ad Shayer and Naftali Frenkel.

Evidence includes DNA samples, finger prints and other incriminating material were collected at the attack scene.

An indictment was filed today (Jun. 23) against Awad for murder and attempted murder. In addition, Awad’s son, A Adin Awad (18), was also arrested for abetting the attack by helping his father flee the scene.

Ziad Awad (L) and his son Izz Eddin (R) arriving to Ofer Mlitary court on June 23, 2014. They were arrested on May 7 by the Israel Police’s elite counter-terrorism unit in collaboration with the Shin Bet security service for the April 14 shooting of B aruch Mizrachi, the 47-year-old father of five. The senior Awad is accused of carrying out the shooting, while his son allegedly assisted him in planning the shooting and coordinating the escape.

Noam Shalit, who pressured successive Israeli governments to make the lopsided prisoner swap instead of demanding action by international human rights groups, told YNet on the arrest, “I didn’t know that one of the terrorists freed in the deal killed Baruch Mizrachi. It wasn’t me that put together the list of prisoners to release.”

Shalit added, “We didn’t demand the release of these prisoners or others.”

Here is an ad from the Free Gilad Shalit campaign, consisting of former Shabak chiefs demanding the release of terrorists, and even saying they won’t pose a danger:

Too many of those involved in freeing these terrorists deny their responsibility.

Content from Tazpit News Agency was used in this report.

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