Israeli court convicts Palestinians of 2016

 An Israeli court on Monday convicted three Palestinians over an attack last year in which gunmen opened fire at a popular Tel Aviv restaurant and shopping complex, leaving four Israelis dead.

Cousins Mohammad Makhamrah and Khaled Makhamrah, the gunmen, and accomplice Younes Zein were found guilty of four counts of murder and 41 counts of attempted murder over the June 2016 attack.

Israeli security officials said the two gunmen, 20 and 21 at the time of the attack, were inspired by the Islamic State group.

In the incident at the Sarona Market, the Makhamrah cousins walked into a busy cafe wearing suits and carrying briefcases, blending with the crowd before opening fire on customers at random.

"They posed as businessmen," the Tel Aviv district court wrote in its decision.

Three people were shot dead, while a fourth died of a heart attack.

"Another four civilians were injured and suffered serious damage as a result the shooting," the 34-page judgement said.

"Thirty-seven civilians received lighter injuries or suffered from shock."

Zein supplied the weapons and helped plan the assault, the court said.

It also found all four guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime. It did not publish a date for sentencing.

The Shin Bet domestic security agency which interrogated the men has said they wanted to carry out "a revenge attack against Israel in the name of the Islamic State" group during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

A wave of unrest that erupted in October 2015, has claimed the lives of at least 295 Palestinians or Arab Israelis, 51 Israelis, two Americans, two Jordanians, an Eritrean, a Sudanese and a Briton, according to an AFP toll.

The violence has largely subsided in recent months.

Israeli authorities say that most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.

Others were shot dead in protests and clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip.

source: AFP