British-Israeli mother dies after attack in West Bank

The mother of two young women killed in a gun attack on their car in the West Bank has died in hospital.

Mourners attend the funeral of British-Israeli sisters Rina and Maya Dee on Saturday.

Lucy (Leah) Dee, 48, was injured in the shooting when travelling in a car with her daughters Rina, 15, and Maia, 20, in the West Bank last week.

The family, who had lived in Israel for nine years, was travelling on holiday – with other family members, including Ms Dee’s husband, Rabbi Leo Dee and their three other children, in separate cars.

Their car was driven off the road after being shot at by the gunmen, who are believed to be Palestinian, amid rising tensions in the region.

A statement from Hadassah-University Medical Centre said: "48-year-old Lucy Dee was evacuated by helicopter to Hadassah Ein Kerem in critical condition, where the teams fought for her life over the past few days, in the trauma unit, the operating room and the intensive care unit where she was treated," the hospital's announcement stated.

"Unfortunately, despite intensive and unceasing efforts, due to her fatal injury, the team had to determine her death today."

Rabbi Dee said earlier two bullets had been removed from his wife's spine and neck during surgery. She had been in a coma since the attack.

In his eulogy at his daughters’ funeral, Rabbi Dee asked: "How will I explain to Lucy what has happened to our two precious gifts, Maia and Rina, when she wakes up from her coma?"

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “Our hearts go out to the Dee family at the terrible news that Lucy Dee has now also passed away after the Palestinian terror attack on Friday that killed two of her daughters, Maia and Rina. May their memories be for eternal blessing.”

Palestinian attacks have killed at least 19 people in Israel since the start of the year, including one soldier.

Meanwhile, more than 90 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire so far this year, at least half of them affiliated with militant groups.

Israel captured the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Middle East war. It has built dozens of settlements in the territory that are now home to more than 500,000 Jewish settlers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made settlement in the West Bank a priority of his current nationalist, right-wing leadership, paid tribute to Ms Dee.

He said: "On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, I send my heartfelt condolences to the Dee family on the death of the mother, Lucy, who was murdered in the attack last Friday, along with her two daughters Maia and Rina.”

Thousands of Israelis, led by at least seven Cabinet ministers, marched to an evacuated West Bank settlement on Monday. Organisers of the planned march to Eviatar, which was evacuated by the Israeli government in 2021, are calling for the settlement's reestablishment and legalisation.

Speaking at the march, national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that "we are here to say that the Israeli nation is strong" and that "we are here and will remain here".