Dad of Brits killed in West Bank says family is 'diminished' after gun attack
The father of two British sisters who were killed in a gun attack in the occupied West Bank has spoken out for the first time.
Leo Dee, 51, said he discovered his daughters Maya, 20, and Rina, 16, were dead when a relative called to ask if he was aware of the shooting on Friday and if the family was okay.
At the time he did not know, but when Mr Dee tried to call his wife and two daughters, there was no answer.
The daughters were named by Benjamin Netanyahu with the surname Zakharan.
He then turned on a Google tracking device that allows parents to follow their children's mobile phones.
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After reaching the Hamra settlement, located 30 miles north of Jerusalem, he saw his wife Lucy being airlifted from their car that had been shot at and realised his daughters had died.
Two British women died and their mother was injured in a shooting at the Jordan Valley near West Bank (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)The three women were travelling to the Sea of Galilee for a family holiday from their home near Jerusalem.
Mr Dee, who quit his job as an investment banker to become a rabbi and move to Israel, said the family feels "diminished" after his daughters died.
He told the Mail on Sunday: "My daughters were friends of each other as well as sisters. Now we are diminished. Maya was doing national service in the south, and was passionate about helping others. Rina is what you would call an A* pupil. We were proud of them.
"My wife's condition is very serious. We are praying, and people around the world are praying, that she will get better."
The two sisters were described as "beautiful, kind and happy young women" by some friends.
The attack came amid tensions on multiple fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon, occupied East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.
Israeli soldiers near the scene of the shooting on Friday (Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock)On Monday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said two citizens were killed by Israeli forces during a military raid in the city of Nablus.
For two nights in a row, Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, attacking Palestinians who had gathered for Ramadan prayers.
Worshippers were beaten up and attacked with tear gas, with a Qatari official later saying that the State of Qatar was trying to "de-escalate the situation on all sides", acting as "a mediator".
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Qatar condemned the attacks on Palestinian worshippers as "brutal , criminal practices", according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
An Italian man was killed and other tourists were injured in Tel Aviv on Friday (Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock)On Friday night, an Italian man was killed and five other tourists were injured after a car rammed into a group of people in Tel Aviv.
On Saturday, Israeli security forces shot and killed a young Palestinian man, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Ahed Salim, 20, was hit in the chest and stomach by live fire in Azzun near Qalqilyah in the West Bank, the ministry added.
Four Palestinians were also wounded when Israeli settlers hurled stones at their car at a checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Al-Bireh.
Further Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian homes and cars in the town of Deir Ballut were reported by the Wafa news agency.
Early on Sunday, the Israeli military said it launched artillery attacks on Syria after several rockets were launched towards north Israel - not causing any damage or casualties.
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