Sisters Rina and Maia Dee killed in Jordan Valley terror attack

The mother of the two British-Israeli sisters killed in the terrorist shooting attack in the Jordan Valley on Friday is still in critical condition, reports said Saturday.

The incident on Road 57 near Hamra junction was initially reported as a traffic accident, but an initial investigation found that the terrorists fired at the Efrat family’s vehicle, causing it to veer to the shoulder and crash. They then fired again at the car to ensure that they had hit those inside.

20-year-old Maya and 15-year-old Rina Dee were killed on the spot, while their mother Lea, 48, is in critical condition. Over 20 bullet casings were found at the scene.

Their father was driving in a separate vehicle ahead of them and arrived at the scene after rescue efforts had begun. The family was on its way to a holiday destination in Tiberias, reports said.

Efrat Council head Oded Revivi said the local council is working to provide the family with any requirements they need in this difficult time.

Soldiers are still searching the area for the terrorists and have set up dozens of checkpoints in the Jericho area. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a situational assessment in light of the attack on Friday afternoon, instructing the defense establishment to allocate all the necessary resources to catch the terrorists and to strengthen security on the roads throughout the West Bank and Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also held a situational assessment on Friday.

The two sisters’ funeral is set to take place on Sunday at 5:00 p.m., the family said.

Police chief Kobi Shabtai said the attack emphasizes how relevant the threat of terrorism is in its various forms.

“Therefore, alongside our operations and that of the security forces in all sectors, I call on every citizen who has a licensed firearm and is skilled in operating it legally to carry it these days,” he said.

Commander of the IDF’s Central Command Maj.-Gen. Yehuda Fuchs stated: “We experienced an extremely severe terrorist attack. As we have known how to pursue and find the terrorists until now, we will also deal with these terrorists. We are reinforcing forces in all sectors. We were unable to prevent this attack, but we will do everything we can to prevent the following ones.”

After the terror attack in Tel Aviv on the same day

The other terror attack that occurred on the same day saw one person killed and seven others injured in a ramming attack in Tel Aviv. The murdered victim was Alessandro Parini, a tourist visiting the country from Italy. The terrorist who carried out the attack was Yosef Abu Jaber, who worked as a janitor at a school in Kiryat Ono.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen arrived at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center at around 7 p.m. on Saturday accompanied by the Italian Ambassador to Israel, Sergio Berbenti, to visit the injured from the terror attack the night before.

Tourism Minister Haim Katz sent a letter of condolence to Parini's family, stating that "on behalf of the government of Israel, we grieve with you for your loss. The gratuitous hatred of the extremists has no geographical boundaries, and does not differentiate between religion, race and nationality, between innocent citizens and tourists. May you know no more sorrow."

Katz also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured tourists from Italy and Britain, who were evacuated to hospitals after the attack.