View source for Wasim a-Sayed

{{Short description|Palestinian murderer}}
{{Infobox criminal
| name        = Wasim a-Sayed
| birth_date  = 1988
| birth_place = Hebron
| nationality = Palestinian
| conviction  = Murder (3 counts), Attempted murder (2 counts)
| penalty     =
| status      = In custody
| occupation  =
| motive      = Islamic extremism
| targets     = Jewish civilians
| locations   = Jerusalem
| date        = 2019, 2022
| victims     = 3
| weapons     = Knife
| convicted   =
}}
'''Wasim a-Sayed''' is a Palestinian serial killer who was responsible for three fatal stabbings in the city of [[Jerusalem]] in 2019 and 2022. He was captured by Israeli security forces in January 2022 after attempting to cross the [[Israeli West Bank barrier]].
== Early life ==
Sayed was born in [[Hebron]] around 1988. He was radicalized to support the [[Islamic State]] (IS), a [[Salafi jihadism|Salafi Jihadist]] terror group. Syed was placed under [[administrative detention]] from 2015 to 2018 due to security concerns over his ties to IS.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=staff |first=T. O. I. |title='I looked for Jewish victims,' suspect in 2019 Jerusalem killings told investigators |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/i-looked-for-jewish-victims-suspect-in-2019-jerusalem-killings-told-investigators/ |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416233901/https://www.timesofisrael.com/i-looked-for-jewish-victims-suspect-in-2019-jerusalem-killings-told-investigators/ |url-status=live }}</ref> According to [[Channel 13 (Israel)|Channel 13]], he later told investigators that "I decided that I will murder Jews, but I won’t tell anyone about it. It will only be between myself and my God. I decided that the Islamic State is my path. I looked for Jewish victims. I wanted to murder a man or a woman, but no children."<ref name=":0" />
== Killings ==
=== Attempted stabbing of an Israeli teenager ===
On January 9, 2019, just three days after his release from jail, Sayed went into the [[Armon Hanatziv]] where he approached a 14-year-old Israeli girl in the stairwell of a building with a knife. Sayed lunged forward at the girl's throat. She was saved by her collar and began screaming for help, causing Sayed to flee the scene.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Police discover Palestinian ISIS supporter murdered eldery [sic] Jerusalem couple in 2019 |url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2022/04/15/police-say-isis-supporting-palestinian-murdered-eldery-jerusalem-couple-in-2019/ |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=www.israelhayom.com |archive-date=2022-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416233902/https://www.israelhayom.com/2022/04/15/police-say-isis-supporting-palestinian-murdered-eldery-jerusalem-couple-in-2019/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0" />
=== Murder of the Kaduri couple ===
{{further ill|The murder of Tamar and Yehuda Kaduri|he|רצח תמר ויהודה כדורי}}
The next day, Sayed returned to Armon Hanatziv. As he neared an apartment, he saw a 68-year-old man<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=i24NEWS |title=Palestinian ISIS supporter admits to 2019 murder of Jerusalem couple |url=https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/defense/1649934943-palestinian-isis-supporter-admits-to-2019-murder-of-jerusalem-couple |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=I24news |language=en |archive-date=2022-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416233902/https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/defense/1649934943-palestinian-isis-supporter-admits-to-2019-murder-of-jerusalem-couple |url-status=live }}</ref> with a [[kippah]] named Yehuda Kaduri unloading his groceries from his car. Yehuda went inside the apartment to place his shopping bags and then walked out to get the remaining supplies. Sayed saw his chance and entered the building, where he walked into Kaduri's room. The knifeman went into the bedroom where he murdered Yehuda's wife Tamar.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
As Yehuda walked to the bathroom after placing his groceries in the fridge, he confronted Sayed, who attacked him. Yehuda tried to fight back, but was overpowered and eventually was stabbed to death. Sayed slept inside the apartment for the night and left the following day. The Kaduri's bodies were found a day later, after relatives told police the couple were not answering their calls.<ref name=":1" />
[[Israel Police|Israel's Police Service]] launched a major and controversial investigation into the murders. Police initially suspected Kaduri's son Nitai of murdering his parents for financial motives.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Why it took law enforcement 3 years to arrest Palestinian-ISIS killer |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-704233 |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |date=14 April 2022 |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416233903/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-704233 |url-status=live }}</ref> Nitai and his wife were detained shortly after he was told that his parents had been killed, and then sent to an [[interrogation]] room. Nitai later accused the police of using "brutal" tactics and criticized them for a lack of transparency.<ref name=":0" />
=== First arrest ===
On January 12, Sayed was arrested due to his support for IS. Sayed was sentenced to two years in prison and was released in 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Goldich |first1=Haim |last2=i24NEWS |date=2022-04-14 |title=Arrest of Islamic State-affiliated Palestinian cracks cold murder case |language=en |work=Ynetnews |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bybw500se9 |access-date=2022-04-16 |archive-date=2022-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416233904/https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bybw500se9 |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Arnona murders ===
On the night of March 20–21, 2022, Sayed entered an apartment in the [[Arnona]] neighbourhood of Jerusalem and murdered Moldovan foreign worker Ivan Tarnovski, who he thought was a Jew.<ref name="Siegal">{{Cite web |last1=Siegal |first1=Tobias |last2=Fabian |first2=Emanuel |title=Islamic State supporter indicted for murder of three Jerusalem residents |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/islamic-state-supporter-indicted-for-murder-of-three-jerusalem-residents/ |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Another Moldovan national was seriously injured. Police were alerted at around 1:30&nbsp;am.<ref>{{Cite web |last=staff |first=T. O. I. |title=Moldovan foreign worker stabbed to death in Jerusalem; 4 suspects arrested |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-stabbed-to-death-in-jerusalem-4-suspects-arrested/ |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-04-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410171352/https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-stabbed-to-death-in-jerusalem-4-suspects-arrested/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Sayed left the scene and was caught by security forces a few hours later as he tried to cross the [[Israeli West Bank barrier]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Presse |first=AFP-Agence France |title=Israel Arrests Palestinian Accused Of IS-inspired Knife Murders |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/israel-arrests-palestinian-accused-of-is-inspired-knife-murders-01649950207 |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=www.barrons.com |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416233904/https://www.barrons.com/news/israel-arrests-palestinian-accused-of-is-inspired-knife-murders-01649950207 |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Capture ==
After Sayed was arrested for illegally crossing the border with a knife, it was realized that he was responsible for killing Tarnovski.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fabian |first=Emanuel |title=IS-linked Palestinian nabbed for 2019 killing of elderly couple that stumped police |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/is-linked-palestinian-nabbed-for-killing-jerusalem-couple-foreign-worker/ |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416233904/https://www.timesofisrael.com/is-linked-palestinian-nabbed-for-killing-jerusalem-couple-foreign-worker/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Further investigations and interrogations linked him to the murder of the Kaduris, to which he admitted his responsibility for.<ref name=":3" />
Sayed said that he had learned how to commit murders via pro-IS videos he found on the internet, and that he had been motivated by the group's terrorist acts.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
Sayed was indicted on April 18 on three counts of murder and two attempted murders.<ref name="Siegal"/>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Crime|Israel|Palestine}}
{{Terrorist attacks against Israelis in the 2010s}}
{{Terrorist attacks against Israelis in the 2020s}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sayed, Wasim a-}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Hebron]]
[[Category:2019 in Jerusalem]]
[[Category:2022 in Jerusalem]]
[[Category:ISIL terrorist incidents in Israel]]
[[Category:Serial killers]]
[[Category:Murder in Jerusalem]]
[[Category:Palestinian Islamists]]
[[Category:Palestinian militants]]
[[Category:Palestinian murderers]]
[[Category:Palestinian Muslims]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Asia in 2019]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Asia in 2022]]
[[Category:Knife attacks in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict]]
[[Category:Date of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Stabbing attacks in Jerusalem]]
[[Category:Stabbing attacks in 2019]]
[[Category:Stabbing attacks in 2022]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Jerusalem in the 2010s]]
[[Category:Islamic terrorist incidents in 2019]]
[[Category:Islamic terrorist incidents in 2022]]
[[Category:ISIL terrorist incidents in Asia]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Jerusalem in the 2020s]]