The Jerusalem District Court last week sentenced Nabil Shaabani, 62, a resident of the Silwan neighborhood, to 22.5 years in prison after he was convicted of committing an act of terrorism involving attempted murder and theft. Shaabani, who had worked for a long time as a maintenance and cleaning worker in a residential building on Koresh Street in Jerusalem, exploited the deep trust placed in him by one of the building’s residents, a woman around 74 years old, in order to carry out a brutal and premeditated attack inside her home at the end of 2024.
What happened inside the elderly woman’s apartment on Koresh Street in Jerusalem?
The terrorist attack took place in December 2024. Shaabani entered the apartment of the woman, who knew him from his work in the building and had requested his services for repairs in her home, but suddenly attacked her, violently assaulted her and strangled her. After she lost consciousness and he believed he had killed her, he stole her money and jewelry and prepared to leave the scene.
However, as he was leaving the apartment, he realized that he had forgotten his walking stick inside. When he returned to retrieve it, Shaabani was stunned to discover that the woman was still alive. In cold blood, instead of helping her, he took a knife, strangled her again and stabbed her twice, in the neck and chest, with the intention of making sure she was dead.
The victim survived the severe attack with the last of her strength, called for help and was evacuated to the hospital in serious condition. Security forces captured Shaabani a short time later. During his interrogation by the Shin Bet and police, he admitted that he had acted out of nationalist motives and explained his murderous actions as an attempt to take revenge for the fighting in the Gaza Strip.
Why was Nabil Shaabani sentenced to 22.5 years in prison in Jerusalem?
On January 9, 2025, the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office filed a serious indictment against Nabil Shaabani with the Jerusalem District Court. In their sentencing decision, the judges emphasized the severity of the crime and the danger inherent in exploiting everyday relationships of trust. In addition, the judges noted that Shaabani had severely harmed Jerusalem’s delicate and fragile fabric of life. The resident, who had trusted him for a long time and allowed him into her home, became the victim of a brutal attempted murder from which she survived only by a miracle.
Although he admitted to the acts during his interrogation, the judges emphasized that Shaabani chose not to express any remorse or sorrow over the woman’s severe injuries. In addition to the lengthy prison sentence, he was sentenced to six months’ suspended imprisonment and ordered to pay financial compensation of NIS 150,000 to the victim.
