The family of IDF soldier Sharon Edri, who was kidnapped and murdered in 1996, is ready to fight the possible release of a convicted Hamas terrorist serving several life terms for his murder and other crimes.
The Edris say they saw reports in Palestinian media outlets that Jamal Al-Hor is currently being considered for release in the current ceasefire-hostage deal, where hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are being exchanged for hostages in Gaza.
“I’m happy the families get to hold their loved ones again, and I can’t help myself from tearing up when they embrace each other,” said Jonathan Karten, Sharon Edri’s nephew. “I think of my family and the moment they could’ve had as well.”
Edri’s family never had that reunion. Instead, they searched for him for seven months after his abduction, ultimately leading to the discovery of his body and for officials to uncover the egregious acts of violence the Surif terror cell in the West Bank was sponsoring.
Twenty years old at the time, IDF St.-Sgt. Sharon Edri went missing on September 9, 1996, after hitchhiking home from an army hospital where he was being treated. Three terrorists from the village of Surif, disguised as haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men, kidnapped and shot him in the head.
Seven months later, his body was found buried in the village of Surif, less than four kilometers away from where some of his family members lived.
“They cut him in half, and they buried him in two places in Surif,” said Karten, who was one-and-a-half years old at the time of his uncle’s murder.
“We found his remains with his [solar] watch and kippah, so we knew the exact time of burial, and we knew it was his body because the bottom still had dog tags in his boots.”
Edri's killer released in Gilad Schalit deal
Edri's murder gripped the nation and eventually officials, marking a turning point for the country as similar kidnappings of soldiers began to happen more frequently, and the terrorist attacks became more vicious.
It took the government months to even acknowledge that Edri was not only kidnapped but was a victim of terror.
Hundreds of people gathered at Edri’s funeral, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was quoted in a 1997 Jerusalem Post article saying he and other officials were working to “put an end to the calamities of terror” and that “we are fighting and will continue to fight until we apprehend and punish the last of those murderers.”
In 1998, the military court in Lod handed down five life terms each to two members of the Surif terror cell – Abd al-Rahman Ghanimat and Jamal Al-Hor – for a slew of drive-by shootings, blowing up the Apropo Cafe in Tel Aviv, which killed three women and injured dozens of people, and the murder of Edri, according to an article from The Jerusalem Post.
They also both told the court in 1998 that they did not regret the acts they committed.
Another member of the Surif terror cell, Ibrahim Abdallah Ranimat, is also serving a life sentence for his role in a slew of terror attacks in the 1990s, including the kidnapping and murder of Edri.
But Netanyahu’s words came to have little meaning for the family when Ghanimat was deported and released from Israeli prison under the Gilad Schalit deal in 2011.
According to a report from the Times of Israel, Ghanimat later went on to sponsor and plan the June 12, 2014, abduction of three Israeli teenagers – Gilad Shaar, Naftali Fraenkel, and Eyal Yifrah – who were hitchhiking in Alon Shvut when they were kidnapped and murdered. Their bodies were buried near the village of Halhoul.
“Had justice been given in my uncle’s case, the families of Gilad, Naftali, and Eyal would not have been in the same situation. We could have avoided their horror somehow,” said Karten. “We’re just repeating history, and I don’t know whose family is going to be the next victim.”
Karten worries about the price innocent Israelis might have to pay in the future if his uncle’s other murderer, Al-Hor, is released in the ceasefire-hostage deal with Hamas.
Nearly 763 people have been released in the first five waves of the deal’s first phase, and dozens of the prisoners released so far were serving life sentences in prison for orchestrating bombings, shootings, and other forms of violence that led to life sentences.
“I know that all we’re doing is kicking the can down the road, doing a band-aid solution because, in 10 years time’s, we’ll find ourselves in the same situation. We’re giving them their next Sinwar,” said Karten.
Yayha Sinwar, who was serving four life sentences in prison, was also released in the Gilad Schalit deal. His release led to years of planning for the October 7 massacre, as he was reportedly its mastermind.
In exchange for Hamas terrorists, 16 hostages were freed in this ceasefire deal. When they were released from the gut-wrenching conditions after nearly 500 days in Hamas captivity, their testimonies revealed the physical, mental, and psychological abuse they endured for months.
Recently released hostages Or Levy, Eli Sharabi, and Ohad Ben Ami, who were handed over emaciated and extremely malnourished, divulged the horrors of Hamas captivity and mistreatment in a different capacity than what was seen before.
“It’s this game they’re making us play against each other,” Karten said, referring to Hamas, which he says is constantly pinning Israeli families’ pain against each other and forcing them to relive traumas.
“I saw videos of my family before and after, and the light that was there, the very happy-go-lucky family, was missing an uncle,” he said.
Karten explained the agony and years of ongoing trauma his family endured after the murder of his uncle. He says he missed out on a lifetime of mentorship and memories, knowing he will never get the time back. Although Edri is no longer here, Karten says his life was shaped by him.
“Because of him, I decided to serve in the military. Because of him, I decided to live in Israel,” he said. “We want to make sure every family receives their justice so this doesn’t happen again.”