JERUSALEM, Israel – Doctors at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center said Monday the premature infant delivered after a drive-by shooter critically injured his mother Sunday has been put on a ventilator.
The baby’s 21-year-old mother, who was in her seventh month of pregnancy, remains in critical but stable condition. The shooter also hit the baby’s father and four other passengers waiting at a bus stop near the Samarian town of Ofra.
Israeli security forces are still searching for the shooter who drove off after the attack.
Hamas, which praised last week’s UN vote in its favor, called the shooting “blessed.”
“We appreciate the blessed shooting that proves that the resistance is present in the occupied West Bank despite the ongoing attempts to destroy it,” the Times of Israel translated Hamas spokesman Abdelatif al-Qanou Arabic-language post on Facebook. “It proves that any attempt to condemn the Palestinian resistance will fail in the face of the desire and valiance of our Palestinian people.”
According to the report, Hamas leaders later labeled the attack “heroic,” saying the victims were “Israeli occupation soldiers” rather than civilians.
“The West Bank is taking the initiative today to resist the occupation and to respond to its ongoing aggressions against our people, where the heroic shooting of a group of Israeli occupation soldiers near the settlement of ‘Ofra’ in Ramallah, is an affirmation of the legitimate right of our people to resist the occupation.”
In a tweet Monday morning, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman reminded the United Nations of last week’s failure to pass a resolution condemning Hamas attacks against Israel.
“Another vile act of Palestinian terrorism last night included the shooting of a pregnant woman,” Friedman tweeted.
Another vile act of #Palestinian terrorism last night included the shooting of a pregnant woman. Hamas calls the shooters “heroic” — yes, the same #Hamas that the @UN could not resolve to condemn last week. The #US stands with #Israel against terrorists even if others won’t.
— David M. Friedman (@USAmbIsrael) December 10, 2018
White House Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt also condemned the UN vote.
.@UN this is what you defended last week when you failed to condemn Hamas. Hamas praises yet another terror attack. You had the ability to help fight against terror. Is this what the UN wants its legacy to be? https://t.co/MPLWVYdQwY
— Jason D. Greenblatt (@jdgreenblatt45) December 10, 2018
“UN this is what you defended last week when you failed to condemn Hamas. Hamas praises yet another terror attack. You had the ability to help fight against terror. Is this what the UN wants its legacy to be?”
Hamas, the Palestinian faction that’s ruled the Gaza Strip for more than a decade, has recently talked about a long-term ceasefire with Israel, mediated by Egypt, while continuing its terrorist activities, which include weekly protests along the border with Israel and less-frequent attempts to infiltrate Israel.
Hamas, the Palestinian branch of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, is listed as a terror organization by the US and Israel.
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