A fragmentation grenade was thrown at a Japnika branch in Hadera, which is still under construction, according to reports. The incident comes roughly three weeks after a wave of attacks against the chain's branches across the country using fragmentation grenades, explosive devices, gunfire, and arson attempts.
A fragmentation grenade was thrown at a Japnika branch under construction in Hadera early Sunday morning, in what police suspect is the latest incident in a wave of organized crime attacks targeting the popular Asian-fusion chain. The branch was still under construction at the time of the attack, which occurred around 06:28 Jerusalem. No injuries were reported. Police have opened an investigation and are examining whether the incident is connected to a series of attacks on Japnika branches over the past three weeks, which authorities believe is driven by a conflict between the Mosly and Jerushi crime families, with the branches targeted due to their ownership by businessman Barak Abramov.
The incident first emerged at 06:28 Jerusalem, when Israeli media reported a suspected fragmentation grenade thrown at a business under construction in Hadera. Within the same hour, N12 journalist Sharon Kanovlich identified the targeted business as a Japnika branch. Police confirmed that bomb disposal personnel arrived at the scene to collect evidence and stated that they were not aware of any prior threats directed at the business owner. Later reports from N12 explicitly linked the Hadera incident to the July wave of attacks, which targeted branches in Afula, Netanya, Kiryat Ono, Ramat Gan, Givatayim, and Herzliya using fragmentation grenades, explosive devices, gunfire, and arson attempts.
As The Zioneer reported on July 14, the Japnika chain has been the subject of a notable crime wave, with a major arson incident at its Netanya branch earlier that month. The Zioneer's background reporting on the chain noted that the intersection of commercial interests and organized crime has occasionally impacted prominent Israeli franchises, with businesses sometimes caught in the crossfire of local disputes or extortion attempts. The current wave of attacks is the most severe targeting the chain to date.
Details on the perpetrators remain unconfirmed, and police are continuing to investigate the exact link between the Hadera incident and the broader crime family feud. The motive for the attack has not been officially established, and no arrests have been reported.
6 developments
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