Na’el Obeid, a terrorist convicted of seven murders for his role in suicide bombing attack, dies in accident at his Jerusalem home just days after he was released as part of the hostage deal between Hamas and Israel.
By World Israel News Staff
A convicted terrorist from Jerusalem, responsible for a deadly terrorist attack more than two decades ago, died over the weekend in an accident just days after he was released from prison.
Last week, Israel’s Prison Service released Na’el Obeid, a Jerusalem resident convicted during the Second Intifada of helping to carry out a suicide bombing at an Israeli café in the capital.
The September 2003 Café Hillel bombing left seven Israelis dead and 57 injured.
The victims killed in the suicide bombing attack included two Americans: Dr. David Applebaum and his daughter, Nava Applebaum, who was murdered on the eve of her wedding.
Other victims of the bombing include David Shimon Avizadris, Shafik Kerem, Alon Mizrachi, Gila Moshe, and Yehiel Tubol.
Following his capture, Obeid was tried and convicted for his role in planning the attack and aiding the suicide bomber. Obeid was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences plus 30 years in prison.
Prior to his release last week, Obeid had served 21 years of his sentence.
In exchange for the release of three Israeli civilians freed on February 15 – including Sagui Dekel-Chen, Alexander “Sasha” Troufanov, and Iair Horn – Israel released 369 jailed Arab terrorists, including Obeid, who returned to his home in the Issawiya neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem.
On Saturday, however, Obeid was rushed to Hadassah Medical Center on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem after he suffered critical injuries.
Obeid was reportedly injured after falling from the roof of a building in Issawiya.
The circumstances of how he “fell” off the roof are not clear, leading to speculation that it was not accidental.
After being evacuated to the hospital in critical condition, Obeid was later declared dead by doctors at Hadassah.
