Daijiworld Media Network – Jerusalem

Jerusalem, July 9: An Israeli court has sentenced a couple to prison for robbing and assaulting their 80-year-old neighbour after befriending her during the Israel-Hamas war.

According to court documents, 25-year-old Asil Nassar and her then-partner, 26-year-old Miar Heiv, developed a relationship with the elderly woman after meeting her in the bomb shelter of their apartment building in Haifa in 2024.

The woman had invited the pair to her apartment on several occasions, allowing them to gain her trust over time.

Prosecutors said that on October 12, 2024, one of the accused distracted the victim in the kitchen while the other searched the apartment and stole cash and credit cards.

After one of the stolen credit cards failed to work, the two allegedly returned to the victim's apartment, where they assaulted and threatened her in an attempt to obtain the card's security code.

The victim was reportedly beaten, dragged by her hair and smothered with a pillow until she lost consciousness. The accused then stole her mobile phone, house key and additional cash before using the phone to obtain a banking verification code that enabled them to withdraw NIS 5,000 from an ATM.

The court sentenced Nassar to 32 months in prison and directed her to pay the victim NIS 6,000 in compensation. Heiv was sentenced to 68 months' imprisonment and ordered to pay NIS 12,000 as compensation.

In a separate incident, two men in their 20s were stabbed in Jerusalem early on Thursday. Emergency responders said one of the victims sustained serious injuries, while the other suffered minor injuries. Both were taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center for treatment.

Meanwhile, prosecutors also filed charges against a man in his 20s accused of pointing a Glock pistol at police officers during a chase in the Negev last month. Police said the suspect was shot and injured after allegedly aiming the weapon at an officer before being arrested.