A pregnant Israeli woman was killed in a shooting attack in the northern West Bank on Wednesday evening as she was traveling to hospital to give birth, Israeli authorities have confirmed.

Tzeela Gez, 30, was driving with her husband Hananel to the hospital when their vehicle came under fire near their home in the Bruchin settlement. Mrs. Gez sustained critical injuries in the attack, while her husband suffered light wounds.

Medical teams performed an emergency caesarean section to deliver the baby, who remains in serious but stable condition. Despite extensive efforts by medical personnel, they were unable to save Mrs. Gez's life.

Following the attack, the Israeli military launched a manhunt for the perpetrator, with troops reportedly surrounding the nearby Palestinian village of Bruqin. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the shooting, although Hamas later praised it as a "heroic" act, describing it as retaliation against Israeli operations in Gaza and the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, expressing shock and highlighting what he described as the contrast between those who "cherish and bring life" and the "despicable terrorists" who seek to kill. Defence Minister Israel Katz has ordered the military to identify those responsible and respond with "maximum force."

The incident occurs amid escalating violence in the West Bank since the outbreak of the Gaza war, which began following Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Israel has established approximately 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967, housing around 700,000 settlers. These settlements are widely considered illegal under international law, including by the International Court of Justice, though Israel disputes this characterization.