A major development emerged in the killing of Binyamin Yamano Zalka: the main defendant admitted for the first time that he stabbed Zalka, but denies the murder charge. The development was first reported by i24NEWS.
The defendant, a 15-year-old minor, admitted that he was holding a knife on the night of the incident in Petach Tikva and came to assist others during a brawl that broke out at the scene. In court, he acknowledged stabbing Zalka but claimed the stab was aimed only at the lower part of his body and that he was unaware it could lead to his death.
Until now, the defendant had refused to admit to the charges against him. Last August, the prosecution rejected a defense request to transfer the case to a mediation process, ruling that the case involves a murder offense of significant public importance and that substantial gaps remain between the parties. The decision was made after consultation with the district attorney and with the consent of the victim's family.
