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Police's victim ID unit leaves for India By Jonathan Lis, Yair Ettinger and Ruth Sinai Seven members of the police's victim identification unit left for India yesterday to assist in locating and identifying the bodies of two missing Israelis who may have been killed in one of last week's terror attacks in Mumbai. Of the four Israelis that the Foreign Ministry's situation room listed as being out of contact yesterday morning, two reported in later yesterday. As for the other two, "we must search for them among the casualties of the various attacks," said Chief Superintendent Itzik Coronio, who is heading the delegation. "All of the bodies have been evacuated to a few central locations, and that is where we expect to focus our work." Advertisement The police team has prepared "identification kits" containing identifying details of each of the missing Israelis, obtained from their families and Israel Defense Forces records. These include fingerprints, dental records and DNA samples. However, Coronio stressed, there is no definite information placing the missing Israelis at the scene of any of the Mumbai attacks, nor have any of the slain been definitely identified as Israelis, aside from five victims of the attack on the city's Chabad House. Three of the Chabad House victims remain unidentified, and it is possible that the police team will be asked to assist in their identification. However, the missing Israelis are currently considered more likely to have been at one of the Mumbai hotels targeted by the terrorists. Coronio said the delegation would also offer its assistance to the Indian authorities in identifying non-Israeli victims, but so far, the Indians have not indicated any interest in such help. The Israeli victims who have already been identified will apparently be buried only tomorrow, due a lengthy delay in the takeoff of the Israel Air Force jet sent to return the bodies to Israel. However, arrangements for their funerals are already underway. The funeral processions of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, the Chabad rabbi in Mumbai, and his wife Rivka will leave from Kfar Chabad, located near Ben-Gurion Airport, and proceed to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, where the two will be buried alongside their eldest son, who died of a serious illness two and a half years ago. Chabad rabbis and emissaries from around the world have been converging on Israel since Saturday night in order to attend the funeral. Chabad has not yet appointed a permanent replacement for Holtzberg, though his place is being filled temporarily by the organization's emissary in Goa. The movement has also not yet decided whether to rebuild the Mumbai Chabad House, which was seriously damaged during the battle in which Indian forces recaptured it from the terrorists, or whether to simply rent a new building. The Defense Ministry decided yesterday that the attack on Mumbai's Chabad House will be viewed as an enemy action against Israel. This decision entitles the families of the Chabad House victims to the same financial benefits granted to victims of terror attacks in Israel. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Boycotting Wagner The composer's works will remain a sensitive topic in Israel for many years. Bound for Gaza The Libyan ship is the most notable attempt yet to break the Gaza blockade.

Read & React Amos Harel: After Mumbai, the war against terror has changed Responses: 52 EU document on Israel, Mideast: Re-open Orient House Responses: 235 Anshel Pfeffer: Israel, stop offending India over Mumbai Responses: 62 Pope praises Nazi-era pontiff accused of Shoah inaction Responses: 57 Israeli Opera to uphold Wagner ban over Nazi link Responses: 47 More Headlines 00:32 Six bodies of Mumbai Chabad victims arrive in Israel 00:15 Olmert: I'm convinced Hillary Clinton will advance Israel-U.S. relations 01:07 Parents of Mumbai terror victim: We may take Rivka's place as Chabad envoys 21:43 Olmert offers condolences to Indian PM over Mumbai deaths 23:09 Hamas tells Haaretz journalist Amira Hass to leave Gaza 21:45 Bush: My biggest regret is false intelligence on Iraq WMDs 01:02 Israel turns back Libyan ship bound for Gaza with aid 00:56 Fetus kept in formaldehyde for 11 years found in Jerusalem 14:06 Israeli Opera to uphold Wagner boycott over link to Nazis 14:36 Indian investigators: Mumbai attackers trained in Pakistan 21:45 Iran dismisses Israeli military threats as 'psychological warfare' 12:14 German firms seek to bypass Berlin sanctions on Iran 14:29 Body of Israeli Omri Kidron found 5 months after he disappeared in China 11:06 Israeli security accidentally intrudes on live Livni interview 02:32 Five Palestinians hurt in clashes with settlers in Hebron 09:46 Eight IDF soldiers among 25 nabbed in drug trafficking bust Previous Editions Select Day 01 dec 30 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 24 nov 23 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov

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