Rabbi Leo Dee: 'Our family of seven is now a family of four'

Lucy (Leah) Dee, who was critically wounded in the terror attack that claimed the lives of her two daughters, Maia and Rina Dee on Friday, has passed away from her injuries, Hadassah-University Medical Center reported on Monday afternoon.

On Monday afternoon, the hospital reported her death, saying that: "48-year-old Lucy Dee was evacuated by helicopter to Hadassah Ein Kerem in critical condition, where the teams fought for her life over the past few days, in the trauma unit, the operating room and the intensive care unit where she was treated.

"Unfortunately, despite intensive and unceasing efforts, due to her fatal injury, the team had to determine her death today."

The hospital added that the Dee family has decided to donate Lucy's organs in order to save the lives of others.

"My beautiful wife, Lucy, and myself tried to raise our children with good values and to do good and bring more good into the world," said Rabbi Leo Dee, husband to Lucy and father to Maia and Rina, on Monday evening. "[I] ask the person with the Kalashnikov: What have you achieved? Are you with your children now? Do you have a future? This is pure evil.

"I am the husband of Lucy Dee and the father of five beautiful kids. That is, until Friday morning at 10:52 AM," he said at the start of his speech.

"I called Lucy. No answer. I called Maia. No answer. I called Rina. No answer. Then I saw a missed call from Maia 10:52. I hadn’t noticed it ring and had not picked up the phone.

"The feeling that she called me during the attack and I wasn’t able to speak to her will come back and haunt me for a while," he said, describing the events of Friday morning, and the moments leading up to the attack.

"I checked Google Family link and saw that they were all located at the Hamra junction. At the same moment, however, Tali had seen, posted on Instagram, a photo that a passing car had taken of the wreck where she saw the back of a white car with a bullet hole and suitcases on the back seat with blood on.

"The suitcases were ours."

Continuing, Dee addressed the terrorist, who has yet to be caught, asking: "This anonymous terrorist with the Kalashnikov - what did he achieve? A temporary victory? Some marks he can carve into his gun? Where's his future? Is he spending time with his children to teach them decent life values?

"Does he even have children or is he a child himself? A product of a broken culture that does not differentiate between good and evil, so he cannot see a future for himself. He is taking 20 shots of cocaine (one for each bullet) in order to numb his soul which is telling him: You are pure evil."

The family later announced that the funeral would be on Tuesday, April 11 at 2 p.m., at the Kfar Etzion cemetery. Shiva will begin immediately after the holiday ends on Wednesday evening. 

Israel responds to heavy loss

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his condolences to the family in a statement on Monday, saying: "On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, I send my heartfelt condolences to the Dee family on the death of the mother, Lucy z"l, who was murdered in the attack last Friday, along with her two daughters Maia and Rina z"l."

בשם כל אזרחי ישראל אני שולח תנחומים מעומק הלב למשפחת די על פטירתה של אם המשפחה, לאה (לוסי) ז״ל, שנרצחה בפיגוע הקשה בבקעה ביום שישי האחרון, יחד עם שתי בנותיה מאיה ורינה ז"ל. pic.twitter.com/N2aIR2C7Bl

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 10, 2023

"On behalf of the entire people of Israel," wrote Israel's President Isaac Herzog, "I send my deepest condolences to the Dee family and pray that they will know no more sorrow. May her memory be blessed."

כמה קיווינו, כמה התפללנו, אך לצערנו לאה, אמא של רינה ומאיה די זכרן לברכה, שנפצעה אנושות בפיגוע בבקעה, מתה מפצעיה. בשם העם בישראל כולו אני שולח תנחומים חמים למשפחת די ומתפלל שלא ידעו עוד צער. יהי זכרה ברוך ומבורך.

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) April 10, 2023

Shlomo Ne'eman, head of the Gush Etzion Council, said: 

"After a persistent fight for her life, Lucy (Leah) Dee joined her holy daughters, may God avenge their blood...We are left with the demand that the government restore security and punish those who committed this murderous and barbaric act of terrorism...Dee family, there are no words to comfort you after the difficult funeral yesterday. Bereavement is knocking on your door again. May you be comforted in the rebuilding of Jerusalem." 

Details of the attack 

The terror attack that claimed the lives of the three family members took place on Road 57 near Hamra junction and was initially reported as a traffic accident. However, 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 Maia and 15-year-old Rina Dee were killed on the spot, while their mother Lucy was evacuated to the hospital where she underwent emergency surgeries and remained in critical condition for several days, before she passed away early on Monday afternoon. Over 20 bullet casings were found at the scene.

This is a developing story.