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Feb. 7, 2021
Three family members from East Jerusalem were charged Thursday with the murder of four of their distant relatives in a family dispute.
The killings were committed about a month ago in Kafr Aqab, a Palestinian village within Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries that is on the other side of Israel’s separation barrier with the West Bank.
Israeli authorities have a limited presence there, and following the killings, in a rare move, Israel permitted armed security forces from the Palestinian Authority into the neighborhood to calm matters.
The defendants – Ahmed, Zayad and Fawzi Rajabi – are charged with involvement in the killing of Adnan, Haytam, Issam and Ihab Rajabi. The conflict began when the victims complained to the son of one of the defendants that he was driving recklessly near their home, according to the indictment. In response, the driver allegedly returned with the defendants, who attacked the occupants of the house and shot at them, the indi