Police no longer believe that the recent killing of a married couple in central Israel was a terror attack. Instead, the 17-year-old Arab Israeli suspect is thought to have murdered the husband and wife for criminal motives, in a dispute over ancient coins.

Ruslan and Olga Prihodko, a couple in their 40s from Rishon Lezion, were found shot dead in their car last month near Mishmar Ayalon in the Judean foothills. The couple is survived by their teenage son.

Police initially probed the May 22 killing as a murder-suicide, then began investigating terror suspicions after it emerged that the husband’s licensed gun was not used in the killing and was reportedly in a safe in their home.

The central suspect in the case was arrested last week. Hebrew outlets reported that the teenager is the younger brother of a terrorist who carried out a deadly ramming attack in 2024 at a bus stop in Ramat Hasharon.

But police now believe the shooting was not a terror attack, and reportedly believe that the teenager had prior acquaintance with the couple.

In light of “the latest developments and the evidence gathered,........

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