A pregnant Israeli woman was fatally shot Wednesday evening in the occupied West Bank, according to hospital sources.
The victim, a woman in her thirties and mother of three, was critically wounded while driving with her husband near the Bruchin settlement in the central West Bank. Her husband sustained minor injuries.
She was rushed to Beilinson Hospital near Tel Aviv in critical condition and arrived undergoing resuscitation efforts. Despite emergency treatment, doctors were unable to save her. “Despite all attempts to revive her, death was pronounced,” the hospital stated.
An emergency cesarean section was performed to deliver the baby, who was immediately transferred to Schneider Children’s Medical Center. As of Thursday morning, the newborn remains in intensive care in “serious but stable” condition.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned what he described as a “chilling and horrific act of terror” and expressed sorrow over the death of Tzeela Gez, who was reportedly on her way to the hospital to give birth. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he had ordered the army to locate those responsible and to take action against their place of residence.
Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel—which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza—violence has surged in the occupied West Bank, with both Israeli and Palestinian civilians increasingly caught in the crossfire.