New details emerged Wednesday afternoon regarding the deadly terrorist attack in the central Israeli city of Holon Tuesday.
Relatives of the victim, 84-year-old Shulamit Rachel Ovadia, say Ovadia was preparing for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday when she was attacked.
Aviva, Mrs. Ovadia’s sister-in-law, told Channel 13 that Ovadia had just left her apartment near the construction site where the terrorist worked, and was heading out for holiday shopping when the attack occurred.
Ovadia was planning to have the entire family over for the holiday, Aviva added.
“She had gone out to buy a fish head for Rosh Hashanah,” Aviva said, referring to the traditional inclusion of a fish or other animal head on the table for the festival.
“She was planning to have the whole family over. She was such a wonderful woman with a good heart.”
Aviva said she had spoken with the victim the day of the attack.
“She wanted to wish me a happy holiday and a good year.”
Ovadia is survived by her husband and three children.
Her husband “still hasn’t come to grips with the murder,” Aviva added.
Wednesday morning, police announced that they had found the body of the terrorist responsible for Tuesday’s attack.
The terrorist, 28-year-old Musa Sarsur, a resident of the Palestinian Authority-administered town of Qalqilya, was found dead at a construction site on Bar Kochva Street in Tel Aviv.
Police say Sarsur committed suicide after he realized he was being pursued by Israeli security forces, hanging himself at the construction site.
According to a preliminary investigation, Sarsur entered Israel legally Tuesday morning with a valid work permit.
On Tuesday afternoon, Sarsur murdered Ovadia outside of the construction site where Sarsur worked. He then fled the scene.
A manhunt was launched for Sarsur Tuesday night, only to be called off Wednesday morning, after police received a report that a man heading to synagogue for morning prayers in Tel Aviv had spotted Sarsur’s remains.
Overnight, IDF forces working with Border Police officers and Shin Bet agents arrested 11 suspects in Judea and Samaria, including relatives of Sarsur.