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Palestinian Gets 2 Life Terms In Murder Of Israeli Dad

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Palestinian man who assisted in a terror attack that killed an Israeli rabbi and father of 10 was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.

Muhammad al-Amarya was sentenced Wednesday by a West Bank military court for the July 2016 drive-by shooting near Hebron that killed Rabbi Michael “Mikki” Mark, 48, the head of the Otniel Yeshiva. His wife, Chavi, was seriously injured, and two of their teenage children also were wounded.

Amarya confessed to driving the shooter, Muhammad al-Fakih, while he fired on the car on Route 60 outside the West Bank city of Hebron as the family traveled to their home in Otniel, The Times of Israel reported, citing court documents. He also confessed to planning three other attacks against Israelis.

Al-Fakih was killed nearly a month later during a shootout with Israeli troops who had surrounded his house near Hebron in order to arrest him.

A Palestinian couple who helped the family following the shooting was fired from their jobs in the West Bank for assisting Jews.

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