‘The State of Israel will relentlessly pursue these criminals’
A NEWBORN baby is fighting for his life, after being delivered by caesarean section after his mother was shot in a terrorist attack.
A NEWBORN baby is fighting for his life, after being delivered by caesarean section after his mother was shot in a terrorist attack.
Amichai and Shira Ish-Ran, a couple married less than a year ago and expecting their first baby, were standing together at a West Bank bus stop on Sunday when terrorists shot them from a car.
The attackers, believed to be Palestinians, also wounded four other people, who suffered light to moderate injuries. Shira Ish-Ran was rushed to hospital where doctors operated to try to save the baby.
They succeeded, and in an emotional press conference, Shira’s mother Liora Silverstein (nee Dubb), who lived in Sydney for a number of years, described her new grandson as a “miracle baby”. She also said that while Shira is recovering, she still does not understand that the baby has been born.
Video footage of the attack shows shots being fired from a small car towards civilians, and then the attackers speeding away.
West Bank terror continued on Tuesday, with two separate car ramming attacks. Both perpetrators were shot – one of them fatally – bringing the attacks to an end without harm to Israelis.
“Nothing can excuse this despicable act of opening fire on people about to light Chanukah candles,” said President Reuven Rivlin after Sunday’s attack.
“I send my support to the IDF and all the security bodies who work to protect us at all times, and particularly in the last hours.”
The attackers are still on the loose, but Rivlin pledged: “The State of Israel will relentlessly pursue these criminals.”
Hamas hailed the attack as “heroic.”
In the West Bank, settlers are calling for the Israeli government to respond by increasing its commitment to settlements. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the West Bank on Tuesday, and promised that settlers won’t be evacuated under his watch.
Discussing the attackers he said, “We will prove to them that their desire to uproot us from our land will meet a fortified wall. They want to uproot us from here, but they will not do so.
“As long as I am Prime Minister, not even one Jew will be uprooted from his home. Not only will they not be uprooted from their homes, they will build more homes.”
NATHAN JEFFAY
comments