Woman, 3 children found murdered in northern Israel

A 23-year-old woman and her two young children, one nearly 2 years old and the other 8 months old, as well as an 11-year-old neighbor, were found Saturday stabbed to death at the woman's home in the northern town of Migdal. The neighbor's younger brother was also badly wounded in the quadruple murder.

The woman was identified as Dor Sela; her older son was called Yosef and the younger one Binyamin. The suspected murderer, a member of the woman's family, was apprehended as he fled from the scene.

The suspect was brought to a Nazareth court on Sunday. At the beginning of the hearing, he said that he is "asking God for forgiveness." The judge ruled to uphold a gag order on the man's identity. His remand has been extended until Feb. 9.

Attorney Erez Moskowitz, the public defender representing the suspect, said, "This is a harsh tragedy. ... The court has referred the suspect to a district psychiatrist who will consider psychiatric observation in conditions of hospitalization."

Natan Atia, the wounded brother of slain neighbor Nahman Atia, managed to escape the attacker through a window. He collapsed from his injuries as he was running away, and passersby who spotted him called Magen David Adom emergency services. Natan Atia was evacuated to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, where his condition was defined as serious, but stable.

Sela and the other three children were pronounced dead on site.

Paramedics Dudu Fahim and Nadin Joubran said the crime scene was shocking, noting that all the victims' bodies bore signs of extreme violence.

Rambam Medical Center Trauma Unit Director Dr. Hany Bahouth said that Natan Atia arrived at the hospital "with cuts and stab wounds on his face and torso. He underwent surgery and was hospitalized in the surgical unit. His life in not in danger."

Yisrael Atia, the father of Nahman and Natan, said, "When I received a message about the terrible incident, I knew that my children were at that house. I went there quickly, and I understood that Natan was injured, managed to escape through the window and was airlifted to Rambam Medical Center.

"When I asked what happened to Nahman, I understood from the police officers' faces that it was something bad. They wouldn't let me in the house to see him, and then I understood that the worst thing of all had happened."

Nahman Atia was the eldest of seven children.

"He was a wonderful child," said his father, crying. "On Friday evening, he took it upon himself to recite the entire book of Psalms, and he achieved his goal. On Saturday, he went to visit a family and never came back."

Sela's uncle, Moti Crasanti, said, "Everything was fine, and suddenly this happened. It hurts me that my brother, Eitan, Dor's father, saw the horror."

Another family member said, "It's hard to describe in words that shock that we're experiencing. The tension in our small town is enormous. Families here are very attached to one another, and I don't know where this act will lead."

Sela and the three children were scheduled to be laid to rest in Migdal on Sunday.

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