Two British-Israeli sisters in their 20s were killed and their 48-year-old mother was injured in a shooting incident in the occupied West Bank. The family was in a car that was fired upon and subsequently crashed near the Hamra Junction in the northern Jordan Valley. The family, originally from London, resided in the settlement of Efrat, according to the settlement’s mayor.
The UK Foreign Office expressed their sadness over the tragic event, stating, “We are saddened to hear about the deaths of two British-Israeli citizens and the serious injuries sustained by a third individual.” The Israeli military is currently blocking roads in the area and has initiated a search for the perpetrators.
The shooting occurred shortly after Israeli warplanes conducted air strikes in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the most significant rocket attack on Israel from Lebanon in 17 years. The military has accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of being responsible for the rocket attack. This followed two nights of Israeli police raids at the al-Aqsa mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, sparking outrage across the region.
In a separate incident, one person was killed and several others injured in a shooting in Tel Aviv. The initial Jordan Valley incident was first reported as a collision between Israeli and Palestinian vehicles. However, after discovering multiple bullet holes in the Israeli car, it was determined to be an attack. Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that 22 bullet casings were found at the scene, believed to be from a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
A volunteer medic with the United Hatzalah ambulance service, Oded Shabbat, rushed to the scene and attempted to save the victims’ lives alongside other first responders. One injured person was airlifted to a hospital for further care. The Efrat Local Council confirmed that the victims were a mother and her two daughters, but their identities have not yet been disclosed.
The family was reportedly traveling to Tiberius for a holiday when the attack occurred. Israeli media reported that the sisters’ father was driving in a separate car ahead of the family and returned to find his wife and daughters receiving medical treatment. Maj-Gen Yehuda Fuchs of the Israeli military’s Central Command described the event as an “extremely severe terrorist attack” and assured that troops would locate those responsible.
The recent escalation in violence between Israel and the Palestinians has resulted in over 90 Palestinian casualties, including militants and civilians, at the hands of Israeli forces. If the attackers are confirmed to be Palestinian, the death toll for Israelis and a Ukrainian citizen in Palestinian attacks this year would rise to 17, including one Israeli paramilitary police officer.
