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| Maia and Rina Dee: Funerals of sisters killed in occupied West Bank taking place | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Maia and Rina Dee were shot as their drove from their home in the settlement of Efrat to Tiberias | Maia and Rina Dee were shot as their drove from their home in the settlement of Efrat to Tiberias |
| The funeral of two British-Israeli sisters killed in a shooting in the occupied West Bank is taking place. | |
| Maia and Rina Dee, aged 20 and 15, were killed on Friday when their car was attacked in the north of the Jordan Valley. | |
| Their mother, Leah, remains in a critical condition after surgery to remove bullets from her neck and spine. | Their mother, Leah, remains in a critical condition after surgery to remove bullets from her neck and spine. |
| At the sisters' funeral in Kfar Etzion, songs of grief filled the prayer hall at the cemetery. | |
| Low and rhythmic, the songs swelled and swayed with the crowd, packed beneath the white rafters. | |
| Many at the funeral are teenagers - some from the school Rina went to. At the front, by a low podium, the family gathered, talking together and holding each other for long moments in silence. | |
| The bodies were brought out, one covered in black cloth, one in blue - a star of David embroidered on each, in gold and silver. | |
| Their father embraced them, then sat back, his face contorted in pain, his hands reaching out to touch his remaining three children. | |
| The funeral of the two sisters is taking place in the Israeli settlement of Kfar Etzion in the West Bank | |
| The family live in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, and moved from London nine years ago. | |
| The car carrying the two sisters and their mother was driven off the road after being shot. The wider family were travelling in three cars for a holiday in Tiberias. | The car carrying the two sisters and their mother was driven off the road after being shot. The wider family were travelling in three cars for a holiday in Tiberias. |
| Speaking to the BBC on Saturday evening, Rabbi Dee described his daughters as beautiful, smart and popular. He said he had not been able to sleep since their deaths. | |
| "Every time, I had nightmares and woke up," he said, "but the reality was worse than the nightmare, so I went back to sleep. Recurring nightmares... that's how it went." | "Every time, I had nightmares and woke up," he said, "but the reality was worse than the nightmare, so I went back to sleep. Recurring nightmares... that's how it went." |
| He said Maia, who was volunteering for national service in a high school, was "wonderful, beautiful, had a lot of friends... she was very keen to do a second year of volunteering". | He said Maia, who was volunteering for national service in a high school, was "wonderful, beautiful, had a lot of friends... she was very keen to do a second year of volunteering". |
| Rina, he said, was "beautiful, fun, very smart, top grades in every subject, very popular with friends, sporty... very responsible, she would take responsibility for many things". | Rina, he said, was "beautiful, fun, very smart, top grades in every subject, very popular with friends, sporty... very responsible, she would take responsibility for many things". |
| "When it came to sweeping out the youth club floor, if other people didn't turn up, she would be there by herself for three hours on a Friday morning, to make sure it was done," he said. | "When it came to sweeping out the youth club floor, if other people didn't turn up, she would be there by herself for three hours on a Friday morning, to make sure it was done," he said. |
| Rabbi Dee heard news of the attack without realising his own family were involved, he said. | Rabbi Dee heard news of the attack without realising his own family were involved, he said. |
| He called his wife and daughters, but they did not answer. He then saw a picture online of the car that was attacked. | He called his wife and daughters, but they did not answer. He then saw a picture online of the car that was attacked. |
| "And we could just see one of our suitcases in the back seat," he said. "There was a massive panic and screaming." | "And we could just see one of our suitcases in the back seat," he said. "There was a massive panic and screaming." |
| He then drove to the scene. He was not allowed access but was handed his daughter's ID card, which confirmed the worst. | He then drove to the scene. He was not allowed access but was handed his daughter's ID card, which confirmed the worst. |
| Rabbi Dee has said he and his three remaining children "will get through this". | Rabbi Dee has said he and his three remaining children "will get through this". |
| The Israeli military said after the shooting that troops were blocking roads in the area and searching for the attackers | The Israeli military said after the shooting that troops were blocking roads in the area and searching for the attackers |
| Rabbi Mordechai Ginsbury, from the Hendon United Synagogue in north London, said he spoke briefly with his close friend Rabbi Dee before the funerals. | Rabbi Mordechai Ginsbury, from the Hendon United Synagogue in north London, said he spoke briefly with his close friend Rabbi Dee before the funerals. |
| "Naturally, as are we all, [he was] devastated, shocked at how just in a few moments with an act of absolute evil and madness - insanity - things can change around," he told the BBC. | "Naturally, as are we all, [he was] devastated, shocked at how just in a few moments with an act of absolute evil and madness - insanity - things can change around," he told the BBC. |
| "The loss of two gorgeous daughters, and his wife now lying critically ill in a hospital in Jerusalem. | "The loss of two gorgeous daughters, and his wife now lying critically ill in a hospital in Jerusalem. |
| "But through the sadness there's still that determination that he has to find any positives one can find, to try and be strong for his remaining children." | "But through the sadness there's still that determination that he has to find any positives one can find, to try and be strong for his remaining children." |
| Rabbi Ginsbury added that Rabbi Dee felt "supported and embraced by a blanket of warmth and love" from within Israel and from people across world who had contacted him. | Rabbi Ginsbury added that Rabbi Dee felt "supported and embraced by a blanket of warmth and love" from within Israel and from people across world who had contacted him. |
| Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described the incident as a terror attack, sent his condolences to the family in a tweet naming the sisters on Saturday. | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described the incident as a terror attack, sent his condolences to the family in a tweet naming the sisters on Saturday. |
| The UK's chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said that "no words can describe the depth of our shock and sadness at the heart-breaking news". | The UK's chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said that "no words can describe the depth of our shock and sadness at the heart-breaking news". |
| After the two sisters were shot, Israel Police commissioner Kobi Shabtai called on all Israelis with firearms licences to start carrying their weapons. | After the two sisters were shot, Israel Police commissioner Kobi Shabtai called on all Israelis with firearms licences to start carrying their weapons. |
| Also on Friday, an Italian tourist was killed and seven other people were wounded, including three Britons, in a suspected car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv. | Also on Friday, an Italian tourist was killed and seven other people were wounded, including three Britons, in a suspected car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Israel & the Palestinians | Israel & the Palestinians |
| Israel | Israel |
| Palestinian territories | Palestinian territories |
| West Bank | West Bank |