An Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court judge on Sunday approved an agreed framework of restrictive conditions for alleged crime figure Shalom Domrani, extending his full house arrest through January 20 as police continue investigating a grenade attack in the city.
Domrani was arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of involvement in the overnight throwing of a fragmentation grenade into the yard of a private home in Ashkelon. The blast caused property damage but no injuries, police said.
According to court protocols from Wednesday’s remand hearing, police sought to extend Domrani’s detention on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a crime, issuing threats, and unlawfully placing an explosive device.
At the center of the prosecution’s case was a claim that Domrani’s participation in a video call – a recording of which was allegedly later shown to a third party – formed part of an act of intimidation tied to an ongoing financial dispute involving another individual, identified in court as “Herzel,” and a conflict that police said had escalated into violence.
In his written decision, Judge Yaniv Ben-Harush ruled that while reasonable suspicion existed, its evidentiary strength did not justify continued detention. The judge emphasized that the key unresolved issue was whether Domrani had prior knowledge that the video interaction would be used in a threatening manner – a question that, at this stage, remained insufficiently substantiated.
Court orders Domrani's release
On that basis, the court ordered Domrani’s release to house arrest under supervision, while granting investigators several additional hours to complete urgent investigative actions before the release took effect.
The Wednesday ruling imposed a series of restrictive conditions, including full house arrest, third-party supervision, financial guarantees, and a temporary ban on contact with other individuals involved in the case. The state requested – and was granted – a short stay of execution in order to consider filing an appeal, amid widespread media reports that prosecutors were weighing their next steps following the release decision.
At a follow-up hearing on Sunday, the court approved a revised set of conditions “by agreement of the parties.”
Under the new order, Domrani will remain under full house arrest at his Ashkelon residence until January 20 at 8 a.m., supervised by a named guarantor.
The court further authorized police to enter the residence to verify compliance with the conditions and required Domrani to present himself for questioning or court proceedings as instructed.
Notably, the Sunday decision significantly expanded the scope of the non-contact restriction. Domrani is now barred for 180 days from contacting anyone connected to the case – directly or indirectly – including via telephone, written messages, or intermediaries.
The court also reaffirmed the financial conditions attached to his release, including a NIS 10,000 cash deposit, a NIS 20,000 personal undertaking, and NIS 20,000 in third-party guarantees.
Police have described the grenade attack as criminally motivated and said two suspects were initially detained for questioning. Public broadcaster KAN also reported on Domrani’s arrest in connection with the incident.
In parallel reporting on a broader wave of grenade-related violence in Ashkelon, Channel 12 said additional suspects had been arrested in connection with separate attacks in the city, while noting that Domrani and another suspect were detained in the original yard-attack case and that their detention was extended through Sunday.
The investigation remains ongoing, and further proceedings in the Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court are expected as police continue to examine the evidentiary basis of the case.