Israel to bring back body of teen killed in Turkey terror attack
Interior Ministry and ZAKA coordinate return of Lian Zaher Nasser, murdered in Istanbul nightclub on New Year’s Eve
Israel will bring back the body of a teenage girl, killed in Sunday’s terrorist attack in an Istanbul nightclub, from the Arab town of Tira.
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri announced that his ministry will arrange to bring back the body of Lian Zaher Nasser, 19.
Nasser was killed when a gunman went on a rampage at the exclusive Reina nightclub in Istanbul where revelers were celebrating the New Year.
“Lian was killed in a serious terror attack and as a state we are obligated to help return her body to Israel,” Deri said, according to news site Ynet.
No funeral details have been set for Nasser, who was with a group of friends from Israel in the swanky club when the terrorist opened fire, killing 39 people and injuring dozens more.
Nasser’s family turned to the Tira municipality for help bringing her body back, which then asked the government, which approved it immediately.
Search-and-rescue organization ZAKA will coordinate the repatriation at various levels, including finances, logistics, transportation and communication with the relevant authorities in Israel and in Turkey.
“ZAKA is an international humanitarian organization that honors the dead, regardless of religion, race or gender,” said ZAKA head Yehuda Meshi-Zahav. “We will work on all levels to make sure that the body is brought home for burial in Israel as soon as possible.”
Israeli media report that her body will arrive back in Israel on Monday morning.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place during a New Year’s Eve party and left at least 39 dead and over 60 wounded.
Another young Israeli woman, Rawa Mansour, 18, was hurt in the shooting attack, with reports that she was in moderate condition.
Nasser and Mansour were together at the club along with two other Israeli women, whom Haaretz named as Dr. Ala’a Abdulahi, 27, and Ayia Ihsan Abdulahi, all from the city of Tira in central Israel.
The gunman “shouted ‘Allahu Akbar,’” as he opened fire and there was “complete chaos” in the club, Ala’a Abdulahi told Channel 2, and that she was lucky to escape with her life.
Nasser’s father Zaher told the Walla news website that he urged his daughter not to travel to Turkey, citing the uptick in terror attacks in the country.
“She insisted on going because her friends were,” he said. Before losing contact with Lian, Nasser said his daughter to “managed to send us a few photos from there and she told us how cold she was.”
The attack began at 1:15 a.m. Sunday (2215 GMT), just after hundreds of revelers had seen in 2017 at the club in the Ortakoy district on the European side of the city.
Confirming that the attacker was still at large, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said Sunday: “The search for the terrorist continues. The police have started the necessary operations. I hope (the assailant) will be captured quickly, God willing.”
Agencies contributed to this report.
