Palestinian rapist and murderer released in prisoner swap

A Palestinian man convicted of raping and killing a 13-year-old boy in 1989 is set to be released by Israel as part of a hostage deal.

Ahmed Mahmed Jameel Shahada was imprisoned in 1989 for the murder of teenager Oren Bahrami in Jaffa, Tel Aviv. Oren was reported missing by his parents in April 1989, leading to the discovery of his body in an abandoned room in a monastery.

Shahada, then 26, confessed to luring Oren away while fishing, then assaulting and killing him with an iron bar. The murder was determined to be criminally motivated, not linked to terrorism. Shahada was not due for release until 2036.

Oren's mother, Kati, expressed shock upon learning that her son's killer would be freed under the hostage deal, which was signed by Hamas and Israel on October 8. She was informed by a journalist from an Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, and stated that the news was difficult to process.

In a significant development, Hamas released 20 Israeli hostages, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of a Gaza ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump. The deal followed a period of conflict that resulted in significant casualties on both sides.