Joseph Czuba: No bail for suspect in killing of Muslim boy in Illinois

The man accused of murder and hate crimes after allegedly stabbing a six-year-old Muslim boy to death must be kept behind bars without bail, a judge has ruled.

Joseph Czuba, 71, is accused of killing Wadea Al-Fayoume and seriously wounding his mother in Plainfield, Illinois.

The landlord allegedly targeted the pair, who were his tenants, because of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and because they were Muslims.

The boy's funeral takes place later.

Mr Czuba appeared in court on Monday dressed in red jail clothes and with matted, white hair. He spoke only briefly to confirm that he would need a court-ordered public defender.

In addition to being held without bail, Mr Czuba was ordered to have no contact with Wadea's mother, 32-year-old Hanaan Shahin. He is due back in court on 30 October.

According to authorities, Mr Czuba - the pair's landlord - attacked them both with a large, military-style knife.

Despite being stabbed more than a dozen times, Ms Shahin was able to flee to a bathroom and call police. She is expected to survive.

Her son, Wadea, was stabbed more than two dozen times and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

A funeral service and burial will take place on Monday afternoon in the town of Bridgeview, which is sometimes referred to as "Little Palestine" because of its large Palestinian-American population.

A makeshift memorial - which included a stuffed Spider-man figure and other children's toys - stood at the scene of the crime early Monday.

In the backyard of the property, large piles of rubbish and more children's toys were also visible. Crosses - apparently put up by Mr Czuba - could be seen across the property.

More than 1,400 people were killed in Israel when Hamas crossed the border from the Gaza Strip to attack civilians and soldiers.

In Gaza, nearly 2,700 people have been killed by Israel's bombing, Palestinian authorities say, with an estimated 1,000 missing under rubble.

On Sunday, the FBI said it had seen an increase in reported threats in the US since Hamas launched its attack more than a week ago.

Most have been deemed not credible, a senior FBI official said, but both Jewish and Muslim institutions have been targeted.