The tragic incident that occurred in the occupied West Bank on Friday, April 7th, 2023 has left two British-Israeli sisters, Maia and Rina Dee, killed in a shooting while being driven to Tiberias. Maia, who was only 20 years old, was volunteering for national service in a high school while her younger sister Rina was just 15 years old.
The sisters were the children of Rabbi Leo Dee, who originally hailed from London, and their mother Leah is currently in a critical condition in the hospital.
The incident took place near the Hamra Junction in the north of the Jordan Valley. Their car was shot at by gunmen, driving the car off the road. The sisters’ father had been driving ahead in a separate vehicle and heard the news of the attack before realising that his own family had been involved. The family lived in the West Bank settlement Efrat, according to the local mayor, and their funeral was held on Sunday.
Upon learning of the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a terror attack and sent his condolences to the family. The UK’s chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, expressed shock and sadness at the news, describing the sisters as “much loved” in the two British Jewish communities: Hendon and Radlett. The Board of Deputies of British Jews also expressed their deep shock and sadness at their deaths.
The tragic incident occurred amidst rising tensions in the region. This followed two nights of Israeli police raids at the al-Aqsa mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, which had caused anger across the region. The Hamas group, which did not claim responsibility for the attack on the two sisters, had praised it as “a natural response to Israel’s ongoing crimes against the al-Aqsa mosque and its barbaric aggression against Lebanon and the steadfast Gaza.” The incident reminds us of the fragile security situation in the region and how vulnerable the civilians are.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai urged all Israelis with firearms licenses to carry their weapons. This is indicative of the fear and insecurity that this incident has caused in the region.
