Murders of Lucy, Maia and Rina Dee

On 7 April 2023, three members of a British Israeli family, Lucy and her daughters Maia and Rina, were shot dead in the West Bank.[1] The three lived in the Israeli settlement of Efrat in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.[2]

Background

There was an upsurge in violence in Israel during April 2023, during which Easter, Passover and Ramadan unusually coincided. On 5 April the 2023 Al-Aqsa clashes, on 6 April the 2023 Israel–Lebanon shellings and on 7 April the 2023 Tel Aviv car-ramming.[2]

The Dee family had moved from London to Israel in 2014 and lived in Efrat, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank.[1] The father, Leo, is a former rabbi and lives with his three surviving children.[1]

Attack

On 7 April 2023, Lucy Dee, 45, and her 20 and 15-year old daughters Maia and Rina were shot, reportedly by a "suspected Palestinian gunman", while traveling in a car in the West Bank.[1] They were driving through the Jordan Valley on the way to a holiday in Tiberias.[3] The attack occurred near the Hamra junction.[4] The victims were reportedly shot a total of 22 times with a Kalashnikov assault rifle, first while driving, and then at short range after crashing.[3] Maia and Rina died at the scene; Lucy in Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem on 10 April.[1] The victims were buried in Kfar Etzion; Lucy's organs were donated to five recipients.[5]

Reactions

The attack was condemned by Israeli leaders including Benjamin Netanyahu[3] and Isaac Herzog,[1] and by British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.[3] The chief commissioner of Israeli Police, Kobi Shabtay, announced that "every citizen that has a licensed weapon should carry it from now onwards".[6]

In a first for the UK government, the British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly wrote a letter to Rabbi Dee, the widower of Lucy and father of Maya and Rina in which he said:

Dear Rabbi Dee,

I am writing to express, on behalf of the UK Government, our deepest condolences on the brutal murder of your wife, Lucy, and your daughters Maia and Rina. I cannot begin to imagine the pain and grief you will be feeling at this awful time. I was incredibly moved by your decision to donate Lucy's organs and save five lives. It is a testament to the character of you and your family that you were able to find compassion in the darkest moment. I am glad that my officials are in touch with you to arrange a call with my colleague Lord Tariq Ahmad to express our sorrow and grief for your family. If there is anything that the British government can do to help you or your family, please let us know. There can be no justification for such senseless and abhorrent violence, and I unequivocally condemn this act of terrorism. The UK remains steadfast in our commitment to work with the Israeli authorities, and all parties in the region, to bring an end to the terrorism that Israel faces, and to the cycle of violence which, as we have seen all too clearly, is so destructive.

As you and your family sit shiva, honouring the lives of Lucy, Maia and Rina, allow me to express again our sympathies. May their memories be a blessing.[7][8]
— James Cleverly, British Foreign Secretary

Hamas praised the shooting, but did not claim responsibility.[9][10][11]

Police raid

On 4 May, Israeli security forces shot dead three male Palestinian suspects in a raid on Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Two were members of Hamas suspected of killing the three British-Israeli women, while the third was suspected of helping them.[12]

See also

References
  1. "Mother of British-Israeli sisters killed in West bank shooting dies". The Guardian. Reuters. 10 April 2023. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  2. "British-Israeli mother dies 3 days after West Bank attack: hospital". Arab News. 10 April 2023. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  3. Williamson, Lucy; Moloney, Marita (9 April 2023). "Maia and Rina Dee: Father mourns at funeral of sisters killed in West Bank". BBC News. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  4. Hasson, Nir (2023-04-10). "Mother Wounded in Shooting Dies Three Days After West Bank Attack". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
  5. "'I am paralyzed by the pain': Hundreds accompany funeral of Lucy Dee". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
  6. הפיגוע בבקעת הירדן: שתי אחיות מאפרת נרצחו, מלחמה על חיי האם, Walla! News, 7 April 2023 (in Hebrew)
  7. Pope, Felix (14 April 2023). "Foreign secretary writes to Rabbi Dee to condemn 'brutal' murders". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  8. "Letter from UK Foreign Secretary". Oded Revivi on Twitter. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  9. McKernan, Bethan (7 April 2023). "Two British sisters killed and mother injured in West Bank shooting". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  10. Fabian, Emanuel (7 April 2023). "Two Israeli sisters killed, mother critically hurt in West Bank shooting attack". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  11. Rothwell, James; Sawer, Patrick; Cheeseman, Abbie (7 April 2023). "Two British sisters shot dead in West Bank terrorist attack". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  12. "Israeli raid kills three men accused of killing UK-Israeli woman and daughters". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
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