A pregnant Israeli woman was shot and killed in the northern West Bank late Wednesday in what Israeli authorities have called a terrorist attack. The victim, 30-year-old Tzeela Gez, was on her way to a hospital to give birth when gunfire struck her vehicle near the settlement of Bruchin. Her husband, Hananel, who was driving, sustained light injuries.
The attack occurred along a road near the couple’s home. Israeli military officials said surveillance cameras captured the shooter opening fire, prompting nearby troops to respond.
תיעוד הפיגוע בשומרון: יורה צרור ארוך – ונמלט בריצה לשטח הפתוח@bokeralmog pic.twitter.com/yoIkrl9Hxu
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) May 15, 2025
In the aftermath, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) surrounded the adjacent Palestinian village of Bruqin and set up roadblocks in the area as part of a manhunt.
According to a statement from the IDF, Gez was critically injured and transported to Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, where doctors performed an emergency cesarean section. The baby was delivered in serious but stable condition and later transferred to Schneider Children’s Medical Center. Despite medical efforts, Gez was pronounced dead early Thursday morning.
Tzeela Gez was on her way to the hospital yesterday to give birth to her fourth child, when Palestinian terrorists from the West Bank opened fire on the Israeli vehicle. She was murdered, her son delivered and is now fighting for his life. This what Intifada means. pic.twitter.com/zQkvDlDkGx
— Yael Bar tur 🎗️ (@yaelbt) May 15, 2025
No Palestinian faction immediately claimed responsibility for the shooting, but Hamas issued a statement praising the incident as a “heroic” act. Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the group’s armed wing, called it a response to what he described as “ongoing aggression” by Israel in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, stating he was “deeply shocked by the killing of Tsala Gaz, may her memory be blessed, in the horrific attack in Samaria”
“This despicable event reflects exactly the difference between us—those who cherish and bring life—and the despicable terrorists whose life’s goal is to kill us and cut off lives,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
אני מזועזע עמוקות מהירצחה של צאלה גז, זכרה לברכה, בפיגוע המחריד בשומרון.
צאלה, שהייתה בהריון מתקדם, עשתה דרכה עם בעלה חננאל לחדר לידה בזמן שהמרצחים ירו בהם באכזריות.
האירוע הנתעב הזה משקף בדיוק את ההבדל בינינו – חפצי ומביאי החיים – לבין המחבלים השפלים שמטרת חייהם היא להרוג בנו… pic.twitter.com/jkWr5K2Ge1
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 15, 2025
Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the military to locate the perpetrator and “respond with maximum force.” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir added that the military would “use all the tools at our disposal and reach the murderers in order to hold them accountable.”
The killing comes amid a broader surge in violence across the West Bank, where Israeli forces and Palestinian militants have clashed frequently since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
As of Thursday afternoon, security operations and tightened checkpoints continued in the area around the attack. Footage circulating online showed long lines of Palestinian vehicles delayed at roadblocks as Israeli troops maintained a heightened presence.
