Murderous Terrorism Will Not Break Us: Politicians React To West Bank Terror Attack
Israeli politicians reacted to the terrorist attack that killed Tzeela Gez on her way to give birth to her fourth child on Wednesday night (14th).
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the attack on Thursday morning (15th),saying he was deeply shocked. “This despicable event reflects exactly the difference between us and the vile terrorists whose goal in life is to kill us. I trust that the security forces, even in this case, will quickly reach the murderers and bring them to justice, along with everyone who helped them.”
President Isaac Herzog wrote that murder was “a criminal act of terror that chills every heart precisely at a moment of life, a life was cruelly taken. My heart goes out to the grieving family and to all her loved ones who are deeply shaken. We are all praying now for the well-being of the baby and the recovery of her injured husband, Hananel. Terrorism will not defeat the Israeli spirit. We will pursue terrorism everywhere, and we will not be silent. May her memory be blessed.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote: “A difficult and painful morning. Tzeela Gez was murdered in cold blood last night in a despicable terrorist attack. Our hearts are with her family, and we pray for the full recovery of her husband and the health of the little baby that the medical team delivered.”
”Murderous terrorism will not break us. I trust the security forces to find everyone who was involved in the attack and bring them to justice. May her memory be blessed,” Lapid added.
National Unity leader Benny Gantz wrote on X: “Very bad news this evening, the heinous attack in Samaria. Only human monsters are capable of shooting a woman in advanced pregnancy, this is the face of evil we are up against. In the face of this murderous terror, we must act with strength and determination, anywhere and anytime.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Netanyahu to restore all West Bank checkpoints following the attack. “I call on the Prime Minister to instruct the IDF to immediately and permanently restore all checkpoints in Judea and Samaria, and to fulfill his commitment to promote the enactment of the death penalty for terrorists. I wish a speedy recovery to those injured in the heinous attack and pray together with the entire people of Israel for their healing.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on X, “There’s much to say and to question, there is a bitter enemy that must be destroyed in Gaza and also here in Judea and Samaria, but in this difficult hour, I only ask all the people of Israel to pray for the healing of the wounded. ‘Please God, please heal them.’ ”
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett said on X: “I pray with all my heart for them. Let there be no doubt: if there is no security in Samaria, there will be no security in Tel Aviv either. The enemy wants to murder us everywhere. We must eliminate it.”
“Tzeela Gez was murdered by the sons of death on her way to bring life. Every Jew in the State of Israel should feel safe, everywhere in the country,” Bennett wrote in a later post on X.
Head of the Sanaria Regional Council: Yossi Dagan wrote: “Tzeela was a devoted, beloved and smiling woman. Who only wanted to have a quiet life, and was murdered on her way to bring life. The council staff and the settlement are with the family and residents at this difficult time.”
“I demand that the Israeli government raze the terrorist villages… Jewish blood will no longer be spilled in vain,” Dagan added.
Mk Limor Son Har-Melech wrote that she is “unable to breathe” following the news of the terror attack. She was notably the victim of a terror attack while pregnant in 2004, in which her husband was murdered.
“I can’t help but go back 21 years. I was there too. I was also a pregnant woman traveling with her husband on the roads of Samaria; we too encountered a squad of murderers who fired at our vehicle. Shuli, my beloved husband, was murdered. And I, wounded, was taken to emergency surgery. My daughter Sarah was born then,” she added.
“Yesterday, just as we were celebrating Sarah’s engagement, the terrible news came. The media called, asking me to be interviewed. I couldn’t. The pain was too great,” she reflected.
“I imagined Tzeela Gez there, and her husband – and I was praying for his recovery. I imagined how excited they were about the birth, how much they had been waiting for this moment. How they decided that this was the time – now — to get in the car and drive to the hospital. And that exact moment, a squad of terrorists gathered, deciding that this was the time to murder – to murder them just because they were Jews,” she commented.
Hamas Spokesman, Rafah Brigade Commander Also Killed With Sinwar, IDF Believes
Israeli defense officials believe that Rafah Brigade commander Muhammad Shabana, along with other senior Hamas figures – including the group’s spokesman Abu Obaida, according to Arab media reports – were present with Mohammed Sinwar in a tunnel struck by the Israel Air Force on Monday night (12th) in an attempted assassination of the Hamas military leader.
The strike targeted a tunnel route that ran beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis and was carried out in part as preparation for a possible future maneuver. Destroying the underground infrastructure would significantly degrade Hamas’ command and control capabilities in the sector and allow for more intensive operations should negotiations fail to produce a breakthrough.
The attempted assassination was conducted as part of a joint IDF-Shin Bet operation targeting a command-and-control center built beneath the hospital. Defense officials expressed cautious optimism about the success of the operation, which aimed to kill Mohammed Sinwar, the current head of Hamas’ military wing and successor to his brother Yahya Sinwar, who was killed last year.
Abu Obaida, Hamas’ masked spokesman, has gained a cult-like following in the Arab world. Widely known as “the man in the red keffiyeh,” he has appeared regularly on Al Jazeera, delivering daily summaries of the fighting while revealing little about Hamas’ future plans. His eyes are rarely seen on screen, as the camera remains focused on his covered face.
Early in the war, the IDF revealed Abu Obaida’s true identity as Hudhayfa Kahlout and released a photo of him, accusing him of hiding behind a pseudonym and a red head scarf in the same way Hamas hides behind civilians to launch attacks on Israel.
“He’s just like the rest of Hamas’ leaders,” the IDF said at the time. “They hide in tunnels, behind women and children, and behind masks and shadows.” This was not the first such move by Israel: during the 2014 Gaza war, the Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Israel hijacked Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV channel multiple times to broadcast images of Abu Obaida’s face and urge Gazans not to trust “this liar.”
Muhammad Shabana, the Rafah Brigade commander, is one of the senior Hamas leaders who launched the war and has survived multiple Israeli assassination attempts, both before and after Oct. 7. Shabana assumed command during the 2014 Gaza war after three top Hamas commanders were killed. He currently oversees four battalions, including the elite Nukhba unit that spearheaded the October 7 massacre in southern Israel.
During the current war, Shabana survived Israeli strikes even amid the ground invasion in Rafah. Three of his sons have been killed in the fighting. Following the assassination of Yahya Sinwar, rumors circulated that Shabana had also been killed, but neither Israel nor Palestinian sources confirmed this.
The decision to attempt the assassination of Mohammed Sinwar was made shortly before the strike. Air Force jets were scrambled within a short timeframe to strike the target. Defense officials expect confirmation of results within several days.
Israeli intelligence agencies had waited a long time for actionable information on Sinwar’s whereabouts. Once Shin Bet and IDF military intelligence obtained a reliable lead, the security establishment acted swiftly to launch the operation.
In Parallel with the preparations, extensive checks were carried out to ensure that no hostages were present in the targeted tunnel. During the strike, Israeli fighter jets dropped approximately 40 bunker-buster bombs weighing about a ton – a payload similar to that used in the targeted killing of Hezbollah’s secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, who had previously been hiding in an underground bunker.
PM’s Office Blasts Macron For ‘Echoing Hamas Propaganda’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (14th) responded to statements by French President Emmanuel Macron condemning Israel for defending itself against the Iranian axis of terror.
“Macron has once again chosen to stand with a murderous Islamist terrorist organization and echo its despicable propaganda, accusing Israel of blood libels,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office read.
“Israel is engaged in a multi-front war for its very existence following the horrific massacre committed by Hamas against innocent people on October 7th, including the murder and kidnapping of dozens of French nationals.”
The statement continued, “Instead of supporting the Western democratic camp fighting the Islamist terrorist organizations and calling for the release of the hostages, Macron is once again demanding that Israel surrender and reward terrorism.”
Netanyahu’s statement also stressed that he “is determined to accomplish all of Israel’s war goals, including the release of all our hostages, destroy Hamas’ military and governance capabilities, and ensure that Gaza will never again pose a threat to Israel.”
Minister of Defense, Israel Katz joined the Prime Minister’s criticism of President Macron, stating: “We widely remember what happened to Jews in France when they couldn’t defend themselves. President Macron should not preach morality to us.”
“It is expected that someone who considers themselves a friend of Israel would stand by Israel in its war against the murderous terrorist organization Hamas and the Iranian axis of evil threatening to destroy the State of Israel, instead of trying to deny it the right to self defense.”
He noted, “The IDF operates with a level of morality unmatched in such difficult and complex circumstances, certainly far beyond anything France did in its past wars.”
On Tuesday (13th), Macron told TF1 television that in his opinion, Netanyahu’s policy regarding humanitarian aid to Gaza is shameful, and that Europeans should consider increasing sanctions.
“My job is to do everything I can to make it stop,” he added, saying that the possibility of revisiting the European Union’s cooperation agreements with Israel is on the table.
Arkansas Passes Law Recognizing Judea And Samaria, Bans ‘West Bank” Term In Official Use
Arkansas State Representative Mindy McAlindon, who introduced a bill to refer to the West Bank as Judea and Samaria – which passed last month – told The Jerusalem Post that the legislation is rooted in historical facts.
“I felt that the area should be recognized as Judea and Samaria. That is the rightful name of the land,” she said in an interview with the Post. “I really felt it was important to speak the truth and use the term Judea and Samaria, because ‘West Bank’ is a relatively new and highly politicized term.”
When Representative McAlindon introduced the bill, she received a great deal of support, but there were also voices of criticism. “I had people testify against it, saying it was about picking sides, that it wasn’t the right thing to do. They said the land had been inhabited by many different people over the decades and centuries, and could be referred to in many different ways,” she said. “My response was: this land was given to the Jews centuries ago – it has always been their land. The fact that others may have come and occupied it at different points in time doesn’t change what it truly is.”
This week, the founders of the organization American Friends of Judea and Samaria (AFIS), Rafi Lazerowitz and Yigal Dilmoni, visited the state of Arkansas to present Representative McAlindon with a certificate of appreciation and honorary membership in the AFIS. “Even though we live far apart, we are deeply connected because we share the same values,” Yigal Dilmoni told her.
The Speaker of the Knesset, MK Amir Ohana, along with MK Dan Illouz and MK Sincha Rothman congratulated McAlindon by phone on the success of her initiative.
“I would like to thank you for this important move,” Ohana said, “recognizing Judea and Samaria shows that the Jewish people were never conquerors or occupiers of their ancestral land.”
The bill prohibits Arkansas state agencies from using the term “West Bank” in official government documents, press releases, and other communications. It passed in the Arkansas House of Representatives last month and was later signed into law by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican. The law is set to go into effect in the coming weeks.
Now that McAlindon considers the “mission accomplished” in Arkansas, she’s thinking about the next steps.
“I hope I can get other states to pass similar legislation. I think it’s really important for us as a country to show that support,” she told the Post. “After the events of October 7, people began to realize the importance of terminology–words have meaning.”
