Israeli women spotted next to Istanbul bomber, miraculously survive

Published November 15th, 2022 - 08:37 GMT
Israeli women
Turkish policemen try to secure the area after a strong explosion of unknown origin shook the busy shopping street of Istiklal in Istanbul, on November 13, 2022. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)

ALBAWABA - A bomb blast in Turkey's busiest city was blamed on a Syrian refugee. But new information surfaced on Tuesday, pointing to two Israeli women having been in the vicinity of the explosion just before it happened.

Security cameras have spotted two Israeli women, identified as Natali Swissa and Or Atedgi, according to The Times of Israel. Both were walking beside the Istanbul bomber moments before the blast which killed eight people and injured 81 others. 

Swissa said in an interview with the Ynet news site that both "were saved by a miracle, there’s no other way of putting it."

“We were exploring Taksim Square, going in and out of shops. It was all pretty mundane. It was very crowded. As we were leaving a shop we heard a huge explosion and saw a very big mushroom cloud. There was smoke everywhere,” she said.

A handful of Turkish and Iranian political activists speculated on social media sites that both women could be linked to the explosion.