A stunning Israeli woman has been left devastated after cops said they were giving up looking for attackers who shot her 15 times.
Then teenage bride Lamis Abu Laban, now aged 27, was repeatedly shot by masked gunmen while she was driving to her parents’ house in the Israeli city of Lod in February.
The mother of three had earlier divorced an abusive husband, and police initially arrested him and her brother but later released both men.
After the divorce, she had been forced to live in a women’s shelter for a while and confirmed that her family had opposed the divorce.
She recalled how her father shouted “don’t die!” as she lay on her back looking up at the sky as it rained, wondering who would look after her kids if she passed away after she was shot at 18 times, with 15 of the bullets hitting her.
She said: “My case is a painful one. Eighteen bullets and I’m still alive.”
After numerous operations and months of recovery, Lamis was placed in protective custody, which involved her being moved to a different apartment every few months.
She has also lost touch with her three children, who have been placed with relatives, and says that they can only communicate by video calls because she also fears for their safety.
The young woman, who was married at a young age and gave birth to her three children before she turned 18, has been critical of the authorities, saying they have not done enough to protect her.
Lamis, who has since been moved abroad because of fears for her safety, said that she misses her children and that the two youngest do not know what is going on, although the 11-year-old has a clear understanding of what happened.
She has reportedly said that she is unable to work due to her physical and mental health.
Activists in Israel have repeatedly complained that not enough is being done to stop violence against women in the country, and according to the authorities, domestic violence is on the rise.
On the Israeli police’s recent decision to close the case, she said no one had even bothered to call her.
She said she felt isolated and claimed: “They should call and come visit me, but they don’t. They don’t ask about me, they don’t pick up the phone.
“They don’t understand what I’m going through. I’m living my life in fear. I’ve been through something pretty difficult and I want the state to notice me. I don’t feel safe.”
