Polish tourist believed raped, murdered in Nazareth
Police find body of 20-year-old woman missing since Thursday; second body found in separate incident
The body of a 20-year-old woman discovered on Sunday in Nazareth has been identified as a Polish tourist who went missing on Thursday.
The woman, who was not named, was discovered in a grove near the Amal school in the city. Based on initial forensic assessments, authorities believe she may have been raped before she was murdered, according to Hebrew media reports.
The area was closed off by the Northern District police investigators, and police say they are treating the case as a homicide investigation.
Speaking with the media, Nazareth Mayor Ali Salam recounted what had happened: “The tourist arrived three days ago at a hotel in the city with her group. She left the hotel and did not return. Construction workers at a local school discovered her body in the [nearby] grove and immediately called the police.”
In a separate incident, a body was discovered by hikers on Sunday in the Arbel National Park in northern Israel.
The identity of the body, or its gender, could not be immediately determined.
Police have launched an investigation.