Condition Of Baby, Delivered After Mother Shot In Terror Attack, Deteriorates

The condition of a baby delivered after his mother was critically wounded in a shooting attack outside the town of Ofra on Sunday night (9th) has deteriorated, the hospital said Monday (10th).

The pregnant woman was seriously injured by gunfire from a passing car as she waited among a crowd of people at a bus stop.  Six other people were injured in the attack, and the manhunt for the terrorists, who fled the scene is ongoing.

The baby was delivered on Sunday night and was immediately transferred to the ward for premature babies at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, the hospital said.  The baby boy is on a ventilator and undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit.

The 21-year-old mother underwent surgery late Sunday night and was initially “fighting for her life” after she received gunshot wounds to her upper body.  Doctors said Monday that she is currently stable.

Meanwhile, a Hamas spokesman  praised the ‘heroic’ West Bank shooting attack.

“The heroic Ofra operation is an affirmation of our people’s choice and legitimacy in resisting the Zionist occupation and its settlers,” Abdelatif al-Qanou, a Hamas spokesman, posted on his Facebook page.  “It proves that any attempt to condemn the Palestinian resistance will fail in the face of the desire and valiance of the Palestinian people.”

“The shooting is a message that our people will continue its struggle and uprising until it reclaims all of its stolen rights,” he added.

Early Monday (10th), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israeli forces would not rest until they catch the terrorists behind the shooting attack that critically wounded the pregnant woman, her husband and five others.

“We are all praying for the wellbeing of the wounded from last night’s attack near Ofra.  We support the doctors who are fighting for the baby’s life. Abhorrent terrorists tried to murder a mother and her baby in her womb.  This is monstrous,” said the prime minister.

(israelnn.com; timesofisrael.com)

 

Washington Blasts UN As Hamas Celebrates Terror Attack

The U.S. condemned Sunday night’s (9th) Palestinian terror attack in Samaria and Hamas’ celebration over the critical wounding of a pregnant woman.

“Another vile act of Palestinian terrorism last night included the shooting of a pregnant woman,” tweeted U.S. Ambassador David Friedman.  “Hamas calls the shooters ‘heroic’ – yes the same Hamas that the UN could not resolve to condemn last week. The U.S. stands with Israel against terrorism even if others won’t.”

Jason Greenblatt, Assistant to President Donald Trump and Special Representative for International Negotiations, called the attack “absolutely disgusting.”

In a second tweet, Greenblatt condemned Hamas’ comments and celebrations of the attack.

“This is what the UN defended last week when it failed to condemn Hamas,” he said.  “Hamas praises yet another terror attack. The UN had the ability to help fight against terror – is this what the UN wants its legacy to be?”

Greenblatt was referring to a U.S.-sponsored resolution that condemned the Palestinian terror group which failed to pass at the UN on Thursday (6th).  However for the first time, a majority of countries denounced Hamas but the vote fell short of the required two-thirds majority.

(worldisraelnews.com)

 

Netanyahu: Israeli Flights Can Now Pass Over Oman

Israeli planes will soon be able to fly over the Gulf state of Oman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed on Monday (10th) at a conference of Israeli ambassadors held at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.

According to Netanyahu, Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said gave permission for El Al flights to pass over his country on their way to the Far East.

“Right now we can fly over Egypt, Chad, and apparently over Sudan, we are breaking out into the world, this is an unprecedented revolution,” he stated.

The announcement followed Netanyahu’s historic visit to the Gulf state in October, the first such meeting in over 20 years.

The Sultan’s decision solves part of the problem created for El Al after Air India began to fly to Israel over Saudi Arabia, significantly reducing the flight time.  El Al cannot fly in this path and thus has a significant disadvantage compared to its competitor.

Netanyahu also related to Israel’s political prosperity and said that it stems from the government’s policy of underscoring Israel’s intelligence and technological assets.

“Our diplomatic map is changing dramatically because of the intelligence advantages Israel has,” he said.  “We prevent the downing of aircraft. We prevented dozens of catastrophic attacks. No one has intelligence like ours.  The combination of our intelligence and technological capabilities – this gives us the map of Israel’s expanding relations.”

(worldisraelnews.com; jpost.com)

 

Marooned Jordan River Baptism Site Finally Cleared Of Mines

Israeli and foreign engineers sounded the all-clear Sunday (9th) around three churches on the western bank of the Jordan River, near where Jesus is believed to have been baptized, after mines that marooned the shrines for decades were cleared.

The river banks were once a war zone between Israel and Jordan, and were littered with thousands of landmines and unexploded ordnance.

The two neighbors made peace in 1994, but it took many years before the defusing and clearing began.

Seven churches remained abandoned for more than 50 years in the area of operations, about two-thirds of a mile from the Qasr al-Yahud baptism site in the West Bank, which is a major draw for Christian pilgrims.

The Defense Ministry said on Sunday (9th) that mine-clearing had been completed around three of the shrines – belonging to the Franciscan order, Greek Orthodox and Ethiopian churches – though they have yet to be formally opened to clergy or the public.

“The clearing and releasing of this land, and the opportunity to return it to its religious guardians, is a project in which we take great pride,” Marcel Aviv, head of the ministry’s de-mining department, said in a statement.

CEO, James Cowan of the Halo Trust, a Scottish-based charity that has helped clear minefields worldwide, said that donations for the project had come from all over the world.

“This Christmas holiday season, the Halo Trust has reached a pivotal point in our work to clear the baptism site of landmines and other remnants of war….which will ultimately benefit all humanity,” he said.

(israelhayom.com)

 

Student Stabs Lecturer To Death In Paris For ‘Insulting The Prophet Mohammed’

A Pakistani man stabbed his former university lecturer to death in Paris after the victim allegedly “insulted the Prophet Mohammed,” the Daily Mail reported Friday (7th).

John Dowling of Ireland, 66, was stabbed 13 times last Wednesday (5th) outside the Leonardo de Vinci University in Paris, where he taught.

The assailant, identified only as Ali R., 37, confessed to the killing and told police he “held a personal grudge” against the teacher.

Ali claimed during police questioning that Dowling had made fun of his Muslim religion during classes. He also said that the instructor produced a drawing, which he showed off in class, insulting the Prophet Mohammed.

Catherine Denis the prosecutor in the case said that none of the students recalled such incidents.

Denis said, “We don’t have proof of radicalization of the suspect, but rather a feeling that we’re dealing with someone who is very religious, very pious, very practising…”

Ali was not known to the intelligence services and had not surfaced on their Islamic terrorism radar, but was an “obsessive patriot” from Pakistan, the prosecutor said.

Dowling taught English and international relations at the university for 20 years and was due to retire.

A spokesman for the university stated that Dowling was “a friendly man, respected and loved by all students and colleagues and known for his great availability and kindness.”

(dailymail.co.uk)