The trial of terrorist suspect Muntasir Shalabi for the murder of Yehuda Guetta, 19, in a drive-by shooting on May 2 at Tapuah junction in the West Bank opened at the Judea Military Court on Tuesday.
The IDF prosecution filed an indictment against Shalabi, 44, on June 10 after the conclusion of an investigation by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the police. He was also indicted on multiple counts of attempted murder for wounding two other 19-year-olds during the attack.
Five other suspects were recently indicted at the court for obstruction of justice for harboring Shalabi as he managed to hide and avoid arrest for several days. All five are being kept in police custody until the conclusion of proceedings against them.
Shalabi was apprehended in the village of Silwad, near Ramallah.
Another suspect is expected to be indicted soon for harboring Shalabi.
Guetta was from Jerusalem and was a student at the Itamar Yeshiva in Samaria. He is survived by his parents, four brothers and two sisters.
“Yehuda, in the last few days, we worried as you fought for your life,” Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion said at Guetta’s funeral on May 6. “We prayed from the depths of our hearts that you would overcome your wounds, and across the entire country, we begged for your recovery. But this morning, to our great sorrow, these prayers have turned to a eulogy.”
“Our hearts are broken, but our spirits are strong,” Samaria Regional Council chairman Yossi Dagan said at the time. He called on the government to establish a settlement near Tapuah junction in Guetta’s memory.
“I send sincere condolences to Yehuda Guetta’s family,” then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said within minutes of hearing of his death.
“These are difficult moments for the Guetta family, and the entire nation of Israel shares in your sorrow,” he said.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement: “My heart goes out to the Guetta family, who lost Yehuda tonight, only 19 years old, who was shot during the heinous terrorist attack at Tapuah junction.”
Tovah Lazaroff and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.