16 Indicted for Independence Day Murder
Sixteen minors indicted for Independence Day murder of Binyamin Zelka in Petah Tikva; most defendants are between 14 and 16 years old.
Jerusalem, 10 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The State Attorney’s Office filed an indictment with the Lod Central District Court against a 15-year-old minor for the murder of his friend Binyamin Zelka (20) on Independence Day night in Petah Tikva.
An indictment was also filed against 15 additional minors, most of them between the ages of 14 and 16, charging them with the offense of aggravated assault, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. In addition, some of the minors were charged with additional offenses of threats, obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, and joint assault of another person. The Attorney General’s Office is requesting the detention of all defendants until the end of the legal proceedings against them.
The indictment states that the minors met for Independence Day celebrations and during the evening began spraying snow at several girls. One of the girls they were chasing ran into a Pizza Hut branch to grab a blanket, covered in snow. Three members of the gang followed her in, sprayed snow at her, and in the process soiled the floor and the pizza counter.
The branch employees, including the late Yaman, warned them and asked them to leave the branch. Yaman escorted them out, and as they left, a heated argument with swearing developed between them, which was soon joined by the main defendant and the other defendants, while the two other Pizza Hut employees tried to calm things down.
After about two hours, the verbal confrontation between one of the gang members and the late Yamno resumed, and the rest of the members gathered around him. At a certain point, one of the gang members who had gathered around the late Yamno pushed him forcefully in the chest and knocked him to the ground. This gave the signal for the gang members to violently attack the late Yamno, who violently attacked him with their fists, kicked him, threw snow canisters at his head, and slammed the canisters into his back and neck.
