Casepin
Back to cases

Case file

Murder of Eitam and Na'ama Henkin

SOLVED2015Near Beit Furik, West Bank3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On October 1, 2015, Eitam Simon Henkin, a doctoral student at Tel Aviv University who also held American citizenship, and his wife Na'ama Henkin, a graphic designer, were shot and killed while driving near the town of Beit Furik in the West Bank. The couple, residents of the settlement of Neria, were traveling with their four children, who were present in the vehicle at the time of the shooting.

A statement from Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that a group affiliated with the Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades initially claimed responsibility. However, Israeli prosecutors later stated that the attack had been carried out by a Hamas cell. According to the indictment, the assailants had also planned to kidnap the vehicle's occupants, a plan that was reportedly thwarted when Eitam Henkin attempted to fight off the attackers.

Seven individuals were named in connection with the case. Israeli indictments accused Yahia Muhammad Naif Abdullah Hajj Hamad of being the shooter; Samir Zahir Ibrahim Kusah of being the driver and linked him to an earlier shooting near Enav that injured a driver; Karem Lufti Fatahi Razek of being a gunman wounded during the attack by a fellow cell member; Zir Ziad Jamal Amar of clearing the way for the vehicle carrying the gunmen; and Ragheb Ahmad Muhammad Aliwi, described in the indictment as a paroled militant from Nablus, of organizing the attack by recruiting, leading, and instructing the others. Two additional individuals, Bassad Saikh (also known as Bassam Ameen al-Sayeh) and Amgad Aliwa, were convicted of aiding and abetting the attack.

Following the killings, the Israel Defense Forces deployed hundreds of soldiers, joined by Shin Bet personnel, in pursuit of the perpetrators, and Israeli security forces reportedly detained five members of a Hamas cell linked to the attack. Hamas praised the attack. The Henkins were buried in Jerusalem in a funeral attended by thousands, including Israel's president and chief rabbi. In the aftermath, settlers threw stones at Palestinian cars, ambulances, and homes near the village of Burin, resulting in minor injuries to a woman and a Palestinian driver.

Israeli authorities demolished the homes of six of the seven men linked to the attack between November 2015 and May 2016, following legal proceedings; a demolition order for one individual's home was ultimately denied by the Supreme Court in September 2016. Israeli and international officials, including the Israeli president, prime minister, and Human Rights Watch, publicly condemned the killings. In 2021, a U.S. federal court ruled in favor of a civil suit brought by Henkin family relatives against Iran and Syria, finding the countries liable for damages related to financing and arming Hamas, in a case reportedly seeking $360 million.

This killing is cited as the first incident in the 2015–2016 wave of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Key facts

Victims
Na'ama Henkin, Eitam Henkin
Date
2015
Location
Near Beit Furik, West Bank
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2015-10-01

    Eitam and Na'ama Henkin are shot and killed while driving near Beit Furik in the West Bank, with their four children in the vehicle.

  2. 2015-11-14

    Homes of Hajj Hamad, Kusah, and Razek are demolished.

  3. 2015-12-03

    Home of Ragheb Aliwa is demolished following legal challenges.

  4. 2016-02-05

    Owners of homes belonging to Amar, Saikh, and Amgad Aliwa are warned of imminent demolitions.

  5. 2016-05

    Homes of Amgad Aliwa and Amar are demolished.

  6. 2016-09-27

    Israel's Supreme Court denies the demolition order for al-Sayeh's home, reversing an earlier ruling.

  7. 2021

    A U.S. federal court rules in favor of Henkin family relatives in a civil suit against Iran and Syria, finding the countries liable for damages.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Samir Zahir Ibrahim Kusah

    CHARGED

    Indicted as the driver, also linked to a prior shooting near Enav.

  • Amgad Aliwa

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of aiding and abetting the attack.

  • Na'ama Henkin

    VICTIM

    Graphic designer, shot and killed on October 1, 2015.

  • Zir Ziad Jamal Amar

    CHARGED

    Indicted for clearing the way for the vehicle carrying the gunmen.

  • Eitam Henkin

    VICTIM

    Doctoral student at Tel Aviv University and American citizen, shot and killed on October 1, 2015.

  • Yahia Muhammad Naif Abdullah Hajj Hamad

    CHARGED

    Indicted as the shooter in the attack.

  • Ragheb Ahmad Muhammad Aliwi

    CHARGED

    Alleged organizer accused of recruiting, leading, and instructing the other assailants; a paroled militant from Nablus.

  • Bassad Saikh

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of aiding and abetting the attack; also known as Bassam Ameen al-Sayeh.

  • Karem Lufti Fatahi Razek

    CHARGED

    Indicted as a gunman in the attack; wounded during the incident by a fellow cell member.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Israeli couple Eitam and Na'ama Henkin were shot and killed on October 1, 2015, while driving near Beit Furik in the West Bank, with their four children in the vehicle. Seven men were eventually indicted or convicted in connection with the attack, which Israeli prosecutors attributed to a Hamas cell.
Where did the murder happen?
Near Beit Furik, West Bank.
Who was convicted?
Amgad Aliwa (Convicted of aiding and abetting the attack.) and Bassad Saikh (Convicted of aiding and abetting the attack; also known as Bassam Ameen al-Sayeh.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Eitam and Na'ama HenkinWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — NBC NewsNBC News · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The New York TimesThe New York Times · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 10, 2026