Shootout victims’ bodies to be transferred from France to Israel

The Israeli government decided to transfer the coffins containing the bodies of four victims of the Jewish school shooting in France to Israel for burial.

Israel’s foreign ministry did not mention when the bodies would be transferred but it was planned to be done as soon as possible with the cooperation of Israel’s representatives in France.

Authorities said a gunman started shooting just before 8am after pulling up in front of the Jewish School and  was close enough to shoot the victims in the head.

President Nicolas Sarkozy will be meeting members of France’s Jewish and Muslim communities to join in a moment of silence to remember the victims.

A teacher and three children, one of which was the school’s director while the other two were the teacher’s, were shot down at the Ozar Hatorah Jewish school in Toulouse on Monday.

The region has remained on the highest possible security alert level as the incident marked the third time in less than two weeks that a gunman on a motorcycle has fired on minorities in the area.

A spokesperson for judicial authorities in Paris, one of the guns used during this particular incident was identified as one also used to shoot down French soldiers of North African origin on 11 March and 15 March.

An investigation into all three shootings has been opened up under anti-terrorism powers.