Mother Attacked En Route to Give Birth Dies, Child Stuggling

Tzeela Gez, a 30-year-old pregnant mother of three from Shomron, who was attacked yesterday by a terrorist as she traveled to give birth to her fourth child, has tragically succumbed to her injuries. Please daven for the child who is fighting for his life.

By Anash.org Reporter

In a horrific act of terror, Tzeela Gez, a 30-year-old pregnant mother of three, was murdered on Tuesday night while traveling with her husband, Chananel, to the hospital to give birth to their fourth child. The shooting attack occurred near the community of Peduel in Samaria. Tzeela was critically wounded and later succumbed to her injuries early Wednesday morning.

Despite heroic efforts by emergency medical teams at Rabin Medical Center, Tzeela’s life could not be saved. Her baby was delivered via emergency C-section and remains in serious condition at Schneider Children’s Medical Center. Doctors are fighting to save his life.

Tzeela and her husband were ambushed when terrorists opened fire on their vehicle. Chananel sustained lighter injuries and later shared a heartbreaking message with friends.

“Last night my wife was murdered,” he wrote. “We were on our way to the hospital to happily deliver our fourth baby boy. Obviously I am very broken, naturally, but I am also thankful to Hashem that I survived and will be strong to carry on and be a light onto the entire world. Because we will never let them break us.”

The attack was praised by Hamas, whose spokesperson lauded the murder of a pregnant mother as an act of “heroism.” For the terrorist group, killing a woman on her way to give life is a cause for celebration. The barbarity of such acts continues to defy comprehension.

According to Israeli security sources, the terrorist likely acted alone and carried out the shooting on foot from a known route. The IDF has launched a manhunt, sealing off nearby villages including Bruqin and deploying aerial units and special forces to track down the attacker. Roadblocks and engineering efforts are underway to prevent escape from the area.

Tzeela was remembered by her community as a dedicated mother, trauma counselor, and volunteer who inspired others with her strength and optimism. Since the October 7 attacks, she had been deeply involved in supporting families dealing with trauma.

Her final messages included efforts to arrange a mohel for the upcoming bris milah of her soon-to-be-born son. Her levaya took place on Wednesday at Givat Shaul Cemetery in Yerushalayim.

The tragedy drew swift and heartfelt responses from Israel’s leadership.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, saying it “reflects exactly the difference between us, who cherish and bring life, and the terrorists whose life’s goal is to kill.” He expressed confidence that security forces would bring the killers and their accomplices to justice.

President Isaac Herzog called the murder “a criminal act of terror that chills every heart,” noting the cruelty of a life being taken at the very moment of giving life. “Terrorism will not defeat the Israeli spirit,” he said. “We will pursue it everywhere and will not remain silent. May her memory be a blessing.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz extended condolences to Tzeela’s family and said he is praying for the survival of the newborn and the recovery of her husband.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the event in painful terms:
“Tzeela Gez, may her memory be blessed, was brutally murdered on her way to the delivery room. The pain burns, the heart is torn, and words fall short before the magnitude of this horror. At the very moment she stood to bring life into the world, beasts of prey stole her own.

This shocking attack in Bruchin painfully reminds us that the war is not confined to Gaza; we face a coalition of enemies on every front – in Gaza, in the north, in Judea and Samaria. Security forces’ talk of a ‘shared fabric of life’ costs us Jewish blood. I call on the prime minister to order the IDF to reinstate immediately and permanently all checkpoints in Judea and Samaria, and to keep his promise to advance legislation imposing the death penalty on terrorists.”

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, described Tzeela as “a devoted, beloved, and smiling woman.” He called on the government to take decisive action. “I demand from the Israeli government: flatten the terrorists’ villages. The villages of a-Dik and Bruqin must be treated like Rafah and the Jenin refugee camp. Jewish blood will no longer be abandoned.”