A newborn baby delivered by emergency cesarean section is currently in serious but stable condition at Schneider Children’s Medical Center as of Friday morning, after his mother was fatally shot on the way to the hospital.
Hospital officials reported a slight improvement in the baby’s condition overnight. “Our medical teams are prepared and continue to provide dedicated and comprehensive care,” the center said.
Doctors have been battling to save the infant’s life following the tragic killing of 30-year-old Tzeela Gez, a mother of three from the settlement of Bruchin, who a terrorist near the settlements of Peduel and Bruchin in the West Bank shot.
According to security forces, Gez was traveling with her husband to the delivery room when a terrorist opened fire with an automatic weapon. Gez was critically wounded and taken unconscious to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, where doctors performed emergency surgery in an attempt to save her unborn child. The baby was successfully delivered in the trauma room and immediately given resuscitation efforts.
Despite doctors’ efforts, Gez succumbed to her wounds and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her husband was lightly injured and treated before being released.
Shortly before the attack, Gez’s husband had informed his workplace that he would not be able to come in the following day, as they were en route to the hospital. Moments later, the shooting occurred, forever altering the family’s fate.
Manhunt for the assailant
Following the attack, Israeli security forces launched an extensive manhunt, closing roads and setting up checkpoints in the area. The shooter fled the scene after opening fire at the family’s vehicle. Efforts to locate him included deploying troops and closing nearby industrial zones in Barkan and Ariel over fears he might escape there.
The infant was transferred to Schneider Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit shortly after birth. The tragic event has deeply shaken the Bruchin community and the wider West Bank region.
The local community is supporting the family as Gez’s three children cope with the sudden loss of their mother.