The sisters shot dead in terror attack
THE TWO British sisters shot dead in a terror attack on Friday were last night named as Rina and Maya Zakharan, aged 15 and 20.
The two young women, who held dual Israeli citizenship, were travelling with their mother Leah, 48, when their car was targeted.
She remains in critical condition in hospital. Her husband witnessed the attack from another car as the family convoy drove near their home in Efrat settlement, near Bethlehem.
Last night it was confirmed that later that day three other Britons were injured when a car ploughed into tourists in Tel Aviv, killing a 35-year-old Italian, named as Alessandro Parini.
Two Italian tourists were also wounded when Yousef Abu Jaber drove his car along the city’s beachside esplanade, ploughing into pedestrians.
Jaber, from the Israeli-arab city of Kafr Qasim, whose car overturned after the attack, was shot dead by police after he was reportedly spotted reaching for a rifle.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her “deep sorrow” at Mr Parini’s death and described the attack as “cowardly”.
In London, Middle East minister Lord Ahmad said: “I condemn yesterday’s attacks in the West Bank, and in Tel Aviv where an Italian national was killed and British nationals were injured.”
British Ambassador to Israel Neil Wigan added: “My thoughts are with those affected by another horrific terror attack last night in Tel Aviv.
“British people are amongst the injured. We are in touch with the hospital and will offer our support.”
Tensions show no sign of abating, four days after police clashed with Palestinians inside Jerusalem’s alaqsa mosque.
In 2021 clashes at Jerusalem’s holiest site helped to spark an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement in control of Gaza.
Wednesday’s raid on al-aqsa mosque by Israeli police followed reports that masked agitators had barricaded themselves inside after nightly Ramadan prayers, contravening an agreement that worshippers would not be allowed to stay in the mosque overnight.
In response, protesters in the occupied West Bank town of Beit Ummar burned tyres and threw rocks and explosive devices at Israeli soldiers.
Friday’s terror attacks followed dawn raids that morning by Israeli planes after rockets were fired into the country from the Gaza Strip the night before.
The airstrikes struck three Hamas training camps, while tanks shelled Hamas positions along the border.
Hamas did not claim responsibility for the rocket launches.
However, the group’s deputy, Saleh al-arouri, said: “Attacking Islamic sanctities will have a great price and we will burn the ground under their [Israel’s] feet.”
Following the Tel Aviv attack, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the police to “mobilise all reserve border police units” and directed the army to “mobilise additional forces”.
Police said four reserve battalions of border police would be deployed in city centres from today.
They will serve in addition to units already deployed in the Jerusalem region and in the central city of Lod, which has a mixed population of Jews and Arabs.
Last night experts pointed out that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday are traditionally accompanied by a spike in sectarian violence.
‘The Tel Aviv driver was shot dead by police’