‘I don’t want politics’ – Row erupts at funeral of pregnant West Bank terror victim

A settler leader was cut off while delivering a eulogy at the funeral of a pregnant Israeli woman by the victim’s sister, who accused him of politicising the tragedy.

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan was addressing guests at the funeral of Tzeela Gez, 30, who was shot dead in the West Bank by a Palestinian gunman while she was en route to give birth on Wednesday.

The woman, already a mother of three, was rushed to a hospital near Tel Aviv, where she succumbed to her injuries. The baby survived after doctors performed an emergency caesarean.

The pregnant woman and her husband were driving near the Israeli settlement of Bruchin on May 14 when their vehice came under fire (Getty Images)[Missing Credit]

During his speech at Gez’s funeral, Dagan told guests that “we need to tell the truth” regarding the attack.

He went on: “We warned, and we shouted, and this was the fourth shooting attack on the same route, in the same place.”

Addressing the audience, he said that settlers “came to Israel to live here, not to be sitting ducks”, before demanding to know “why the village of murderers, Bruqin (the Palestinian village near the location of the attack), is still standing?”

At this point, Gez’s sister, Shaked, cut him off, shouting: “I don’t want politics!”

She continued through tears: “I want love for my sister! Let us finish with love for my sister!”

Dagan insisted that he is “respecting your sister,” though she responded: “No! No, you’re not.”

Eventually, Shaked asked him to leave the podium.

Dagan initially attempted to continue his criticisms of the government but eventually stopped after further protests from the terror victim’s sister and other mourners at the funeral, reported The Times of Israel.

“We will express love, like you say,” Dagan said. “I respect your pain, we’ll continue [this conversation] later. I call on everyone to express love, like your sister would’ve asked, and we’ll say our criticisms later, after the funeral.”

Gez, a mental health counsellor from the settlement of Bruchin, was critically wounded in the drive-by shooting near Route 446 in the northern West Bank.

Her husband, Hananel, who was driving the car on the way to hospital, was lightly wounded in the gunfire.

Gez, a mother of three, died from her injuries, while her husband was lightly injured, according to the hospital (Getty Images)[Missing Credit]

The pregnant woman was transferred in critical condition to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikvah, where she was later declared dead.

After doctors performed an emergency caesarean, the baby remains in a “serious but stable” condition.

No terror group immediately claimed responsibility for the killing, but Hamas described the attack as “heroic”.

The Israeli military has launched a manhunt for the Palestinian gunman.

“We don’t know where he came from; he came alone,” a senior official from the IDF’s Central Command said to the Maariv daily.

“We’re still in the manhunt, so I won’t get into details. Right now, there’s nothing new.”

Israeli forces have been deployed around the Palestinian towns of Bruqin and Kafr ad-Dik, which are close to the location of the attack, amid the hunt for the killer.

Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s far-right finance minister, called for parts of the West Bank to be destroyed in the wake of the attack.

“Just as we are flattening Rafah, Khan Younis and Gaza, we have to flatten the terror hubs of [the West Bank],” he said.

Gez’s death is the latest incident in a wave of violence in the West Bank since Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023.

Since then, Israeli forces have arrested around 6,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,350 who are allegedly affiliated with Hamas.

More than 950 West Bank Palestinians have been killed during this time, according to the Palestinian Authority health ministry.

There has also been a significant surge in violence from Israeli settlers on Palestinians since the start of Gaza war.

In total, 52 Israelis – including civilians and security personnel – have been killed in attacks in Israel and the West Bank since the start of the conflict. Eight additional security personnel have died in clashes with armed groups.