Body of missing Israeli woman Shani Gabay found, mayor says: ‘Bitter news’
The body of missing Israeli woman Shani Gabay was recovered on Monday, according to Kiryat Ono Mayor Eli Cohen.
In a statement, the mayor said the news was “bitter news” and expressed his condolences to her family.
“Our city is in grief and we all bow our heads with pain at the end of this intense search,” Cohen wrote.
Gabay, 25, had been missing since April 18. She was last seen in the area of Rishon Lezion, according to Israeli news outlet Mako.
Israeli police had launched a massive search operation that included helicopters, sniffer dogs and drones, and appealed to citizens to keep a lookout for her, the Times of Israel reported.
A student at the Ort Kiryat Ono College, Gabay had come to Rishon Lezion, a city south of Tel Aviv, in order to look for an apartment for her upcoming studies in the Law and Business Administration Department.
Her family had also asked for public assistance to find her, with her sister launching an Instagram account for anyone with information about her whereabouts to share.