Trudeau condemns West Bank terror attack after baby of Israeli-Canadian dies

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday condemned a terror attack in the West Bank earlier this week that caused the death of a baby boy, calling the shooting outside the Ofra settlement “heinous terrorist violence.”

Seven Israelis were injured in the attack Sunday, including Shira Ish-Ran, 21, who at 30 weeks pregnant underwent an emergency Caesarian-section after being shot in the upper body. Though doctors initially described the birth as a “miracle,” the infant was later placed under intensive care and died on Wednesday.

Ish-Ran’s husband Amichai, who is a Canadian citizen, was also injured in the attack.

“This heinous terrorist violence targeting civilians is completely inexcusable. May the boy’s memory be a blessing, and may the injured recover,” Trudeau wrote on Twitter.

Relatives of Amichai and Shira Ish-Ran attend the funeral of their baby, who was born prematurely after his mother was wounded in a terror attack outside the West Bank settlement of Ofra, at Mount of Olives ceremony in Jerusalem on December 12, 2018. (AFP)

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland also condemned the shooting.

“Canada condemns this attack on civilians and wishes all injured a swift recovery,” she tweeted.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives cemetery Wednesday night for the funeral of the newborn, who had been pronounced dead by doctors at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem after several days in intensive care.

Amichai (left) and Shira Ish-Ran, wounded in a December 9, 2018, terrorist attack outside Ofra in the West Bank, are seen at their wedding. (Courtesy of the family)

Shira and Amichai Ish-Ran were recovering from gunshot wounds at the hospital and were unable to attend the funeral. Shortly before the burial, the baby underwent a symbolic circumcision and was named Amiad Yisrael.

The funeral took place as Israeli forces raided a Palestinian village and killed one of the suspected perpetrators, Salih Barghouti, and arrested four other suspects in the terror attack. Hamas claimed Barghouti as one of its members.

On Thursday, after Shira Ish-Ran’s condition improved further, she was quoted by Hebrew-language media as saying, in her first remarks since the attack: “I will prove to them, I will show them. I will bring many more babies into this world. Am Yisrael Chai [the people of Israel live].”