Israeli female student killed in Australia is laid to rest

Relatives and friends carry the coffin of Israeli Arab student Aiia Maasarwe during her funeral in Baqa El Gharbiye, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. Maasarwe, 21, was killed as she was walking on a city street in Melbourne. Australia speaking to her sister by phone. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

BAQA AL-GHARBIYYE, Israel — A female Israeli student who was killed in Australia last week has been laid to rest in her hometown.

Thousands of mourners crammed outside the family home of Aiia Maasarwe for a traditional Muslim burial on Wednesday in the Arab town of Baqa al-Gharbiyye.

Maasarwe, a 21-year-old exchange student at La Trobe University in Melbourne, was coming home from a night out in a nearby suburb when she was killed in what appears to have been a random attack.

Her death has captured international attention, sparking demonstrations in Australia demanding an end to violence against women and shocking her hometown.

Her family said Maasarwe had decided to study in Australia because of its reputation for safety.

A 20-year-old man has been charged with rape and murder.

The Associated Press