Nirit Zemora; Photo credit: Honenu
Sunday, December 15, 2019, 14:12 A second deliberation at which the sides will state claims for the severity or leniency of the penalty for Hamza Faiz Fozi Abu Alfilat is scheduled for Monday, December 16. Hamza Faiz stabbed and seriously injured Nirit Zemora in a terror attack at the Etzion Bloc Intersection parking lot on October 28, 2015. The Ofer Military Court of Appeals convicted Hamza Faiz, who was initially convicted only of aggravated assault, of attempted murder and therefore the Military Court in Yehuda must now resentence him. The deliberation will take place before the initial panel of judges.
Approximately six months ago, the Military Court in Yehuda exonerated the terrorist of attempted murder and convicted him of aggravated assault, because he had stabbed the victim in the back “only” once – the knife broke during the stabbing – and according to the judges it was not possible to prove beyond a doubt that the terrorist had intended to murder Nirit Zemora.
The court ruling raised a considerable outcry and the Military Advocate General immediately announced their intent to file an appeal on the verdict. On July 16, 2018, the Ofer Military Court handed down a 14-year prison sentence and also awarded 500,000 NIS in compensation to Zemora for aggravated assault.
On October 7, the Ofer Military Court of Appeals under the auspices of Judge Colonel Netanel Benisho, the President of the Military Court of Appeals, accepted the appeal filed by the Military Advocate General and convicted Hamza Faiz of attempted murder. The Appellate Court returned the case to the Military Court in Yehuda, where Hamza Faiz will be resentenced.
Nirit Zemora and Honenu Attorney Chayim Bleicher, who is providing her with legal counsel, will be present at the deliberation.
Bleicher: “We hope that now the error will be corrected and the terrorist will receive a more stringent penalty, which will strengthen the deterrence factor, at least a bit, concerning his fellow terrorists.”