Five people have received life-saving transplants from organs of a British-Israeli woman killed in a suspected Palestinian gun attack on Friday.

The surgeries were carried out at two hospitals in Israel shortly before the funeral of Lucy Dee, 48, who died from her injuries on Monday.

Two of her daughters were also killed in the attack as the family were driving in the occupied West Bank.

The family moved to Israel from the UK nine years ago.

Israel's National Transplant Center said a 51-year-old woman received Lucy Dee's heart; a 58-year-old woman one of her lungs; a 25-year-old man her liver; and a 58-year-old man and a 39-year-old man her kidneys. Her corneas have been preserved for future use.

Lucy's husband, Rabbi Leo Dee, told the Times of Israel that the family made the decision to donate her organs because "everything... that is lifesaving should be given".

Thousands of mourners attended Lucy Dee's funeral in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Kfar Etzion, where two days earlier her two daughters - Rina, 15, and Maia, 20 - were buried in similar emotionally charged scenes.

Government ministers attended both funerals.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "get all the evil terrorists who killed our citizens and they will be held accountable with no exception".

Lucy, Rina and Maia were shot at as they were driving in the Jordan Valley on their way to a family holiday. Their vehicle crashed and the gunmen went up to the car and opened fire on the women at close range, Israeli media quoted investigators as saying.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that 22 bullet casings were found, apparently from a Kalashnikov assault rifle.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a hunt for the perpetrators following the attack, which came at a time of spiralling tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.

On Monday, a 15-year-old Palestinian boy, Mohammad Balhan, was shot dead by Israeli troops in Aqabat Jabr refugee camp near Jericho in the West Bank, Palestinian officials said.

The Israeli military said its forces were carrying out an operation to arrest militants in the camp at the time, and that they had returned fire after being shot at and attacked with explosives.

Since the start of this year, more than 90 Palestinians - militants and civilians - have been killed by Israeli forces. Eighteen Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian - all civilians, except for an Israeli paramilitary police officer - have been also killed in attacks by (or suspected to have been carried out by) Palestinians and, in one case, an Israeli Arab.

Source:
courtesy of BBC NEWS

by Raffi Berg | BBC News

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