Israel mourns the death of three of its citizens who were killed while on vacation in Turkey. “The heart aches for the victims who lost their lives in the horrific terrorist bombing,” Israeli President Reuven Rivlin stated.
The White House stated that two Israelis with American citizenship were among those killed in a suicide attack in Istanbul. An Israeli diplomat in Istanbul confirmed they held dual Israeli citizenship.
The three Israeli victims killed in the blast were named Simha Dimri Yonathan Suher and Avraham Goldman.
Dimri, 60, was a mother of four and a retired kindergarten teacher. Her husband was wounded in the attack.
Suher, 40, and Goldman, 70, both had US citizenship.
Suher was celebrating his 40th birthday in Istanbul with his wife. His wife was wounded in the attack. He is survived by his two children.
The remaining 11 Israelis who were wounded in the attack were flown to Israel by special medical teams to be treated in Israel.
Ned Price, a spokesman for the National Security Council, in a statement Saturday condemned the “heinous attack” and said the US remains steadfast in support of Turkey, its NATO ally.
He said the US remains in close touch with Turkish authorities. He offered thoughts and prayers to the families of those who were killed or wounded.
Price says these repeated acts of terrorism in Turkey must come to an end.
An Iranian citizen was also killed in Saturday’s attack on Istanbul’s main pedestrian shopping street that killed at least five people, including the suicide bomber, whom Turkish Authorities have identified as Islamic State terrorist Mehmet Ozturk.
It was the sixth suicide bombing in Turkey in the past year. The previous five attacks, which have killed more than 200 people, were either blamed on ISIS by Turkish authorities or claimed by an off-shoot of the Kurdish PKK.
“The heart aches for the victims who lost their lives in the horrific terrorist bombing in the heart of Istanbul. We send our condolences to the families in mourning, pray for the well-being of the injured and hope for their swift return to Israel,” President Rivlin said in a statement.
“More and more innocent people are losing their lives in the shadow of the insatiable terrorism and extremism which plagues the world,” he stated.
By: AP and United with Israel Staff