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Mother of British-Israeli sisters killed in West Bank attack dies in hospital
The mother of two British-Israeli sisters killed in a shooting attack in the West Bank has died of her wounds.
Israel’s Hadassah hospital announced the death of Lucy Dee, 45, on Monday.
She had been in a coma after the family’s car was attacked by suspected Palestinian militants on Friday.
The scene of the attack in the Jordan Valley area of the West Bank
Her daughters, Maia and Rina Dee, aged 20 and 15, died at the scene when their car was shot at and forced off the road.
The husband and father of the victims – who witnessed the attack from another car – was unharmed, but Mrs Dee was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition.
Rabbi Leo Dee broke down at his daughters’ funeral on Sunday as he paid tribute to his “beautiful angels”.
He also spoke of his hopes that his wife would recover.
“How will I explain to Lucy what has happened to our two precious gifts?” he asked.
The attack happened near Hamra, about 30 miles north of Jerusalem, but the family are believed to have lived in a settlement near Bethlehem.
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Rabbi’s tribute after daughters killed
Maia and Rina Dee’s siblings clutched their bodies at the funeral
Sky’s Middle East correspondent said the targeting of cars with Israeli number plates in the West Bank had become “far more commonplace in the last few weeks”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene and has vowed to catch the killers.
He said extra border police and IDF (Israel Defence Forces) had been called up “to confront the terror attacks”.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews tweeted that “our hearts go out to the Dee family”.
“Our community, alongside Jewish communities around the world, mourns their loss. May their memories be for eternal blessing,” it added.
Rabbi Dee was senior rabbi at Radlett United Synagogue in Hertfordshire from 2011-2014 and assistant rabbi in Hendon, north London, from 2008-2011.
The family moved back to Israel in 2014, said Mordechai Ginsbury, a rabbi at the Hendon synagogue.
He said the Dees were the “nicest, loveliest people” and he was “so, so sorry”.
“To think that in a few moments, so senselessly and painfully, this has happened, such a tragic loss of life, of goodness, is just devastating,” added Mr Ginsbury.
A car drove at people in Tel Aviv on Friday. Pic: AP
Alessandro Parini, 30, was killed in the attack. Pic: Facebook
Italian tourist Alessandro Parini was also killed on the same day as the attack on the Dee family when a car drove at people in the coastal city of Tel Aviv.
Police shot the attacker dead as he reached for his weapon but five other tourists, including Britons, were hurt in the incident near the Charles Claure Promenade.
An Israeli security source identified the assailant as an Israeli Arab from the town of Kafr Qassem.
Friday’s attacks came after Israel launched early morning strikes on Lebanon and Gaza in response to rocket attacks on Thursday that it blamed on militant group Hamas.
Tensions are also high in the region following police raids on Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem as the Muslim and Jewish festivals of Ramadan and Passover coincide.
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Why is there tension over Jerusalem holy site?
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Why did police raid Al Aqsa Mosque?
Stun grenades and tear gas were fired in the early hours of Wednesday after several hundred Palestinians remained after prayers.
Israeli police said they tried to clear them peacefully but that a small group – some of whom had fireworks, sticks and stones – barricaded themselves in.
Locals blamed Israeli authorities for the violence while Jordan and Egypt, who have been involved in peace talks, condemned the police’s actions.