Ali al-Hain, 36, of Dahariya — the suspect in the daylight sexual assault of a young woman in Azor — claimed Sunday in court that he did not intend to attack her but only wanted to ask to use her phone to call his brother after his broke. The judge was not persuaded by the claim and extended his remand, according to journalist Daniel Amram.
The suspect in the daylight sexual assault in Azor appeared in court on Friday and claimed he only wanted to ask the victim for a phone call — a claim the judge rejected, extending his remand. Ali al-Hain, 36, of Dahariya, was arrested Thursday night at his home after a multi-district manhunt, as The Zioneer reported earlier Friday. In court Friday, al-Hain argued his phone was broken and he intended only to ask the victim to call his brother. The judge was not persuaded and extended his remand, according to journalist Daniel Amram. This development follows the suspect's earlier statement during questioning on Thursday night in which, according to Israel Hayom, he said, "I only wanted the phone."
The assault — in which the suspect followed the woman on a roadside for several minutes in broad daylight, then attacked her from behind, kissing and groping her — was captured on security cameras and posted by journalist Daniel Amram on Wednesday night, leading to widespread outrage and a search for the suspect. Police initially issued multiple versions of the suspect's identity: early reports Thursday evening variously described him as a 34-year-old Palestinian without entry permits, then as a 36-year-old West Bank resident, before a joint IDF-Police operation identified him as a 36-year-old resident of Dahariya. Thursday's versions all carried the same published time of 20:22 Jerusalem, reflecting the evolving information.
As The Zioneer reported on Thursday, June 18, the arrest was announced by the Azor local council following an hours-long manhunt that sparked public outrage and vigilante threats by residents. The incident has drawn attention amid other recent reports of sexual assaults and harassment, including the indictment of a Kiryat Yam man for harassing a minor on WhatsApp (reported June 10) and the case of a Haifa taxi driver accused of assaulting a teen (reported June 10-12).
It remains unclear whether the suspect has legal representation or will face additional charges beyond the initial allegations. The investigation continues, and no further court dates have been announced.
6 developments
- StrongDaniel Amram: young woman sexually assaulted by stalker in broad daylight in Azor; suspect still at large
- StrongPolice arrest West Bank Palestinian suspect in Holon daylight assault on woman
- DevelopingJournalist Aliran Dahan files police complaint against Lucy Aharish over privacy violation
- DevelopingPolice to request extension of Yolen Cohen's remand at 14:00 hearing
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