A pregnant Israeli woman was killed in a shooting attack Wednesday evening in the northern West Bank while on her way to give birth, Israeli authorities said.
The victim, Tzeela Gez, a mother of three and mental health counselor from the settlement of Bruchin, was traveling with her husband to the hospital when a terrorist opened fire near the communities of Peduel and Bruchin in Samaria, also known as the northern West Bank.
Shortly before the attack, Gez’s husband, Hananel, had sent a message to his workplace explaining he would not be available the following day due to the impending birth of their fourth child.
Gez was critically wounded in the shooting and rushed to Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, where doctors performed an emergency cesarean section in an effort to save the baby. Despite extensive resuscitation efforts, the hospital said Thursday morning that Gez had succumbed to her injuries.
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The newborn was transferred in severe but stable condition to Schneider Children’s Medical Center, where he remains under intensive care.
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IDF forces searching for the assailants near Bruchin, northern West Bank
(Photo: IDF)
“It was a difficult and complex night in the trauma room,” the hospital said. “Despite a long battle to save the mother’s life, the medical teams were forced to declare her death.”
The husband sustained light injuries in the attack. Israeli security forces launched a large-scale manhunt for the attacker, deploying troops across the area and conducting searches for several hours.
The Samaria Regional Council, where Gez resided, issued a statement Wednesday saying, “We regret to announce that Tzeela Gez, of blessed memory, was murdered in a shooting attack—on her way to the delivery room. Efforts to save the baby are ongoing.”
IDF forces in manhunt for West Bank attacker
(Video: IDF)
Council head Yossi Dagan, who was on a visit to the United States, cut his meetings short and is returning to Israel. “She was a devoted, beloved and smiling woman who only wanted to live a quiet life—and was murdered on her way to bring life into the world,” he said.
Dagan added, “Jewish blood cannot be spilled like water. This is a recurring terror hotspot, and the State of Israel’s response cannot stop at a press release. I call on the security establishment to act here as it does in Gaza—flatten the terror nests. We will not return to the days of October 6. This pain is unbearable.”
He further said that “villages that repeatedly produce terrorists cannot continue as normal. The same standard must apply to Burqin and Kafr ad-Dik as to Khan Younis and Rafah. We can no longer rely solely on intelligence. This stretch of road has already seen four attacks—it must be made to resemble Jabaliya. No normal country would allow such a threat to persist without a response. We expect the senior command to change course. We will defeat terror.”