Murder of Hebron Settler: Two Palestinian teens confess under interrogation

Tuesday February 27, 2007 11:46 by Polly Bangoriad - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli media sources on Tuesday announced that the illegal Israeli settler whose corpse was found late on Sunday night was 42 year-old father of three, Erez Levanon from Bat Ayin settlement near the West Bank city of Hebron.

Levanon, who had been reported missing on Sunday afternoon, was found stabbed to death in his car on Palestinian farmland in Beit Omar village near Hebron. His body was discovered by Palestinian civilians who immediately informed the Palestinian police, who in turn informed the Israeli police. Israeli forces and police immediately invaded the village of Beit Omar and searched and ransacked houses.  

Israeli media sources are today announcing that two teenagers, named as Mudar Abu Dia and Musa Ahalil, both 17, are from the nearby village of Khirbat Safa and are suspected of killing Levanon. Apparently the two admitted to the crime under interrogation by the notorious Shin Bet Israeli secret service, after they were seized by Israeli forces late on Monday night.  

According to the Israeli media report, Shin Bet sources stated that under interrogation the boys had confessed to 'working alone', 'planning the murder in advance' and committing it for 'nationalist reasons'.  

The Isreali report stated that according to Levanon's friends, he used to drive daily to the secluded area to pray, gain inspiration and write music. It added that on Monday around 400 mourners followed Levanon's funeral procession from Bat Ayin to the cemetery in Kfar Etzion.  

Shin Bet's interrogation methods have caused much controversy in recent years. In 1989 a report was drawn up after numerous complaints of violent tactics, and a 1994 report published in 2000 exposed the use of physical torture to gain intelligence. In 1999 the Israeli Supreme court heard several petitions against Shin Bet's physically abusive tactics and ruled that it did not have the authority to employ such methods. Shin Bet claims that it now only uses psychological tactics.  

However, organizations such as Amnesty International and B'Tselem still regularly accuse it of employing physical methods that according to them amount to torture under international conventions.  

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