Israeli girl hurt from stray fire from Syria named

Aviya Frenkel, 17, was hiking on the Golan Heights last week when she heard an explosion and felt a sharp pain in her back

A 17-year-old Israeli girl who was struck by a bullet last week apparently fired from Syria was named as Aviya Frenkel.

Frenkel was on a hike near Alonei Habashan, on the Israeli-Syrian border just south of Quneitra. She sat on a bench with some friends, when suddenly she heard the sound of an explosion and felt a sharp pain in her lower back.

She stood up in fright, bleeding from her back, and was hurried to Ziv Medical Center in Safed. Medical staff at the hospital stitched up her cut and released her.

Once home in her southern Golan village of Haspin, she insisted she still felt pain in her back, and sensed an object inside her body.

She returned that night to the hospital with her parents, where further checks confirmed that a 7.62-millimeter bullet was lodged one centimeter from the stitched cut.

Police investigators were called to the hospital and took her testimony.

There was no firm confirmation on the circumstances that led to Aviya being hit by the bullet, but the direction of fire, the diameter of the bullet and closeness to the Syrian frontier point to stray fire from battles across the border.

Aviya will heal completely from the wound, her father Shai told Ynet on Monday. “We had a great miracle happen before the Passover holiday. This is our private miracle,” he said.