A 46-year-old woman was found dead in a section of the Jordan River in northern Israel the day after her 20-year-old son was murdered because she had converted from Israel. Islam to Orthodox Christianity, prosecutors say.

The suspect, Muad Hib, 27, allegedly used a rope or his hands to strangle his mother, Rasha Muklasha, until her death, according to police reports and court documents documenting the August 5 incident.

According to The time of Israel, the indictment alleges that Hib dug a grave, buried the body and covered the area with stones and dry leaves “all to mask the location of the body and make it more difficult to locate.”

Hib was charged Monday with premeditated murder.

In 2006, the victim was reportedly separated from her husband and five children after moving from Zarzir to Nof HaGalil, where she converted to Christianity.

After almost 15 years, she reunited with her children after the death of her ex-husband. However, his conversion to Christianity allegedly angered and angered Hib, which prosecutors say may be the reasoning behind his intention to kill.

Prosecutors argue that the murder was planned by Hib, who met her mother near Nazareth and picked her up in her vehicle with the intention of killing her and disposing of her remains.

Authorities say that after the son suffocated his mother to death, he searched for a place to hide his body.

During the search, Hib allegedly hit a police roadblock and fled the scene. The indictment alleges that he went to the Jordan River, where he hid the deceased.

Police said Hib hit a second roadblock and stopped him after a short chase near Nahalal.

Hib’s two brothers, 23 and 20, were arrested separately.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the three men were held until enough evidence was gathered to indict the average brother as the main perpetrator. After that, the others were published.

Police said they conducted an intensive search for Muklasha’s remains using helicopters, a canine unit, cavalry and stalker units.

“The rapid work of the investigators to locate the suspect and the suspicion of a murder case led to the launch of all the forces of the northern district for a rapid and extensive operation aimed at locating the body of the victim,” the chief said. of the northern district, Shimon Lavi, as cited in a Times of Israel article in August. “[This shows] the full commitment of the police to solve the crime in the Arab community, using all the means at our disposal. “

News of the indictment comes as there has been an increase in crime and violence throughout Israel’s Arab community. According to Haaretz, there have been 90 murders in Israel’s Arab community since the start of 2021, and the vast majority of perpetrators have not been brought to justice.

The media further calculates that only 23% of murders in Israel’s Arab community have been solved. Some of the victims were hapless bystanders, known criminals or women victims of domestic violence.

Police have been accused of not doing enough to protect Arab society in Israel.

“The situation has only gotten worse,” Thabet Abu Rass, co-executive director of an organization called Abraham Initiatives, which advocates for equality between Jews and Arabs, told Haaretz.

“Yes, we have seen a greater awareness of crime and violence, from top to bottom; Everybody talks about it. At the same time, however, on the ground, violent crime is accelerating and Arab society has completely lost its sense of security. “

In July, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett declared that the rate of violence and crime in Israeli Arab communities is a “national calamity that has been overlooked for many years”.

“Crime happens daily and fear reigns in the streets. It is the government’s responsibility to fight and deal with the phenomenon and it is a national mission.

In September, the Israeli authorities would have began recruiting hundreds of new police officers and working with a national security agency to tackle violence in the Arab community. The move came after several people had been killed days earlier.