Tze'elah Gez, a resident of the Bruchin settlement, was murdered Wednesday night in a deadly shooting attack on the road between Peduel and Bruchin in Samaria. Tze'elah and her husband Hananel were on their way to the delivery room when attackers opened fire on their vehicle. She suffered critical wounds and despite intensive medical efforts, doctors were unable to save her life. Hospital staff continue fighting to save the baby's life after performing an emergency delivery.
The attack occurred around 10 p.m., when gunmen opened fire on several vehicles near a junction, striking the couple – parents of three children – who were rushing to the hospital for the birth of their fourth child. She was critically wounded while Hananel, who suffered light injuries, desperately tried to treat her wounds and stop the bleeding. Both were evacuated to the hospital where medical teams managed to deliver the baby, who remains in critical condition.
Video: The scene of the attack / Credit: MDA
IDF forces were immediately deployed to the area, including Israeli Air Force units, the elite Shaldag commando unit, Paratroopers Reconnaissance Battalion, Duvdevan special forces, and commando units in training. The manhunt is being led by Ephraim Brigade Commander Faiz Fares, who assumed his position just one day earlier. Simultaneously, security forces imposed a closure on the nearby village of Brukin and restricted movement in all western Samaria settlements and industrial zones in Barkan and Ariel.
Tragically, about a year ago, Gez, who worked as a motor therapist, expressed her feelings of vulnerability in a social media post, writing, "It's an unsafe period. The feeling that nowhere is protected, yet we continue to go out, work, live. What helps you leave home and not avoid going out?"
President Isaac Herzog shared his condolences, writing, "The murder of Tze'elah Gez, on her way to the delivery room, is a heinous act of terror that chills every heart. At the very moment of life – a life was cruelly taken. My heart is with the grieving family and with all her loved ones who are deeply shocked. We are all praying now for the well-being of the baby and for the recovery of her wounded husband Hananel. Terror will not defeat the Israeli spirit. We will pursue terror everywhere, and we will not rest. May her memory be blessed!"
Meital Ben Yosef, chairperson of the Bruchin committee, expressed the community's grief, saying, "Our hearts are broken. The entire Bruchin settlement is mourning and grieving the murder of our friend Tzalah in the deadly attack. We send our deepest condolences to the Gez family, and hope for a full recovery for the father of the family. Again we are forced to pay a bloody price for being Jews living in our land. But the blood of our brothers will not be abandoned – we will continue to build, to hold on to the land, and to increase the light and life here in Bruchin and in all parts of the country. On behalf of the residents of Bruchin, I ask everyone to pray for the recovery of the father and the baby and to promise – you will not remain alone. We are all with you."
In response to the attack, Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan cut short his diplomatic meetings at the US Senate in Washington and immediately began returning to Israel.
"A devoted, beloved, and cheerful woman, who only wanted to live a quiet life – and was murdered on her way to bring life. Jewish blood cannot be spilled like water," Dagan said after the attack. "This is a recurring attack site, and Israel's response cannot be limited to a press release. I demand that the security system operate in this area as they do in Geza – flatten the terror nests. We are not willing to return to October 6, and this pain is unbearable."
Dagan added, "The villages that repeatedly produce attackers cannot continue as usual. The fate of Brukin and Kafr al-Dik should be the same as Khan Yunis and Rafah. We can no longer rely on intelligence alone. This is a route from which four attacks have already emerged – this place needs to look like Jabaliya. Any normal country would not allow such an area to continue existing without a response – and we expect the senior command to change its approach. The settlement in Samaria will not break. We will continue to build, we will continue to hold onto our land – and we will settle Samaria, we will defeat terror."
