The Israel Police said Sunday that a joint operation with the Shin Bet security agency, conducted over the span of several weeks, has resulted in the arrest of eight Arab suspects in the murder of Yigal Yehoshua during a wave of ethnic violence last month.
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Yehoshua, 56, died after being pelted with rocks on the evening of May 11 during clashes between Arabs and Jews in Lod.
Six residents of Lod and two Palestinians from Judea and Samaria were arrested on suspicion of hurling stones at Yehoshua's car.
According to the police and Shin Bet, the seven murder suspects attacked Yehoshua's car after deciding to "throw rocks at the vehicles of innocent Jews who passed through the area, out of a racist and nationalistic motive."
"The suspects stood at different places at the scene of the attack and when they saw that Yehoshua's vehicle was being driven by a Jew, they pummeled it with rocks forcefully and from close range," the Shin Bet said.
Based on the investigation, Yehoshua was wounded by the rocks and bricks and momentarily parked his car near the site of the attack. He then drove the rest of the way to the parking lot beneath his home, where he crashed his car into another vehicle while trying to park, apparently because of his injuries.
"A neighbor saw Yehoshua's car hit the parked vehicle and came up to his car and found [Yehoshua] injured," police said.
He died from his injuries several days later, on May 17, and his kidney was donated to an Arab woman.
Seven of the men stand accused of the murder, while the eighth will face charges for other rock-throwing attacks in the city and for attempting to obstruct the murder investigation, a Shin Bet spokesperson said.
On Sunday, prosecutors in Israel's Central District filed their intentions to indict the seven murder suspects, requesting that the men be kept in jail through the criminal proceedings.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett congratulated the security forces.
"I commend the [Shin Bet], Israel Police and all of the security arms for apprehending the suspects in the abhorrent murder of Lod resident Yigal Yehoshua in a stone-throwing attack in the city last month.
"Let every enemy and terrorist who tries to attack us know that the State of Israel will lay its hands on every vile criminal sooner or later and bring him to justice," he said in a statement.
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