Rosh Ha'ayin stabber set out to 'kill Jews' after 'Prophet Muhammad appeared' in dream

Prosecutors request suspect remain in custody until law proceedings are finalized.

Scene of stabbing attack in Rosh Ha'ayin
An indictment was filed Sunday morning in the Lod District Court against Shatila abu Aida, the 23-year-old female responsible for the stabbing of a woman in the industrial center of Rosh Ha'ayin, where she worked as a cleaner at a high-tech company, in early April.
The indictment charges abu Aida with attempted murder.
Prosecutors requested that she remain in custody until law proceedings are finalized.
According to the indictment, the 23-year-old's actions were inspired in the backdrop of the kidnapping and murder of Mohammed abu Khdeir, the murder of the Dawabsheh family in the Duma arson attack, and the death of Hadeel al-Hashlamun at a Hebron checkpoint.
The indictment describes abu Aida's dream in which "the Prophet Muhammad appeared looking for her," which brought her to the realization that she must grow closer to her religion and "kill Jews for the sake of redemption."
The suspect originally intended to create an explosive device at home and place it in a restaurant adjacent to her place at work. She researched instructions for the assembly of such a device, yet failed to acquire all the parts and properly assemble them. At that point, she turned to plan b: a stabbing attack.
On April 3, abu Aida set out from her house in Kfar Kassem to Rosh Ha'ayin with two knives in tow, concealed in her pants. She chucked her cellular phone en-route to the industrial area, and, upon identifying a 30-year-old Jewish woman, assaulted her with a knife.
The Jewish woman sustained a stabbing wound to her left-hand, and began battling her assaulter.
Passersby attempted to take control of the situation and subdue the stabber. They threw rocks in her direction until she began to escape, at which point they chased her, caught her, and held her down with the help of chairs, until forces arrived on scene.
In her investigation, abu Aida admitted that she intended to cause harm to as many Jews as possible .

Stay updated with the latest news!

Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter


She handed over her journal to investigators, in which she wrote that she wishes to die as a shahid.