Jerusalem Terror Attack: Court Convicts Knife Attacker

The Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday unanimously convicted Adnan Qari of terror-related attempted murder and possession of a knife, after determining he tried to stab an Israeli soldier to death on Sayeret Duchifat Street in Jerusalem.

According to the verdict, Qari decided in December 2024 to carry out a terror attack in which he would stab a Jew or soldier to death, motivated by nationalist and ideological reasons. He equipped himself with a sharp knife with a blade approximately 13 centimeters (about 5 inches) long and placed it in his vehicle.

The following day, he drove along Sayeret Duchifat Street searching for a potential victim. Around 12:40 p.m., he spotted a soldier standing at the side of the road, stopped his car, and exited with the knife in his possession.

The court established that Qari raised the knife and advanced toward the soldier while shouting "Allahu Akbar," "I will stab you," and "You will die today."

The soldier aimed his weapon at him and ordered him to stop and get on the ground. Qari moved back toward his vehicle, but then turned around and resumed advancing toward the soldier with the knife in hand. The soldier first fired a warning shot into the air, but when the defendant continued approaching, he fired several rounds at him, bringing him down.

During the trial, Qari claimed he had no intention of harming the soldier but rather sought to commit suicide by frightening a soldier or police officer into shooting him. The court rejected his version of events and gave credence to the soldier's testimony, which was found reliable and corroborated by two eyewitnesses, video footage of the incident, and Qari's own confession during his second interrogation.

Judge Michal Sharbit ruled that it was proven beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant acted with premeditated intent to kill the soldier. The verdict emphasized that even if he had suicidal intentions, this does not negate his intent to kill the soldier and die afterward during the neutralization process.

The court further determined that his actions went beyond the preparatory stage and constituted actual attempted murder: "Were it not for the soldier's resourcefulness in preventing the defendant from continuing his actions, the attempted offense would unfortunately have been completed."

Judges Eli Abarbanel and Pnina Neubert joined Judge Sharbit's position, and the conviction was handed down unanimously. Qari's sentencing will be determined at a later date.