KOCHI: The mortal remains of Soumya Santhosh, the Malayali caretaker who died in the Hamas mortar shell attack in Israeli city of Ashkelon on May 11, were brought to her Kanjiramthanam residence near Adimali in Idukki around 10pm on Saturday.
The body, brought on board a special flight to Delhi airport earlier in the day, was received by Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan. Israel's ambassador to India Ron Malka and deputy chief of mission, Rony Yedidia Clein paid respects to Soumya at the New Delhi airport. The body was flown to Kochi airport by a domestic aircraft around 5pm.
Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose, Thrikkakara MLA PT Thomas and elected representatives from Idukki paid homage to the body at Kochi airport. Soumya's brother Sajesh, her brother-in-law Saji, Sophie and relatives Mathews and Benny received the body at the airport.
The body was taken to a hospital and from there to her house in an ambulance. The funeral will be held at Keerithodu Nitya Sahaya Matha church cemetery at 2pm on Sunday.
A delegation from the Israeli mission will visit the house of Soumya on Sunday to convey their condolences directly. Soumya, 30, had been working as a caretaker at a house in Ashkelon for the past seven years.