The defense emphasized that Khlo was not accused of shooting or driving the vehicle, as the prosecution was unable to determine who involved had shot and killed the student.Follow us on GoogleChief of Police Daniel Levi at the scene of a shooting incident in Ramla, central Israel, May 11, 2026.(photo credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90)ByYOAV ETIELJUNE 12, 2026 08:56The 32-year-old man who killed a high school student from Nahariya after he accidentally stumbled upon the scene of an attempted assassination in January 2020 was sentenced on Wednesday in the Haifa District Court. Halal Khlo from Acre was given 25 years in prison following his conviction for the murder of the 17-year-old. He was also sentenced to 12 months in prison, on probation, and the maximum possible compensation to the victim's family.After more than six years of a complex trial, largely based on circumstantial evidence, Khlo accepted a plea deal arranged by defense attorneys Uri Ben Natan and Zohar Arbel for the Haifa District Attorney's Office.Khlo pleaded guilty to an amended indictment and was ultimately convicted of intentional murder, attempted murder, carrying a weapon, recklessness, and negligence.Former high Court president Aharon Barak is seen at a conference of the Israeli Association of Public Law (IAPL) in Haifa, earleir this month. Arguments over judicial overreach and activism in Israel have been ongoing for years, the writer notes. (credit: FLASH90)What happened in the run-up to the student's murder?According to the amended indictment, Khlo and others conspired to harm Muhammad Rubai, 28, while he was in Nahariya. They intended to shoot him from a passing vehicle as he walked. They opened fire on the target, who was wounded, but one of the bullets also hit the high school student who happened to be walking nearby.The 17-year-old was taken to the hospital and died due to his wounds a few hours later.The case was reportedly close to a conviction when the defense attorneys requested a plea deal. Prosecutor, attorney Muhammad Molla said that "examining the evidentiary difficulties that emerged during the trial and involving the families of the deceased and the injured in the incident, the prosecution came to the conclusion that this was a proper and balanced arrangement."The defense's arguements for the dealThe defense emphasized that Khlo was not accused of shooting or driving the vehicle, but rather of committing the offenses along with others, as the prosecution was unable to determine which of the individuals involved had hit the deceased and the injured.Attorney Tomer Ben Hamo, who represents the family on behalf of the SNA program, the assistance for families of victims of homicide, said in court that agreeing to the settlement was a "very difficult decision" after six years of conducting a trial, but the family preferred the certainty of convicting the defendant of murder and bringing the case to an end.According to him, financial compensation was not a consideration for the family.Follow us on Google