The United States condemned the deadly terror attack on Friday that killed an Israeli teenage girl, in addition to injuring her brother and father.
“Another savage attack by Palestinian terrorists kills an Israeli teenager enjoying time with her family. This isn’t the path to peace, just endless suffering. May her memory be a blessing. Our prayers are with her family especially her father & brother also wounded in the attack,” tweeted U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt.
Rina Shnerb, 17, of Lod, succumbed to her wounds after being critically injured and treated at the scene. She was buried in her home city of Lod at 3.30 p.m., just one week after celebrating her birthday.
“Her father, Eitan Shnerb, is said to be conscious and in moderate condition, while his 19-year-old son is out of surgery and stable with injuries to his entire body. The two men were evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem [in Jerusalem] for medical treatment by helicopter,” according to The Jerusalem Post.
The IDF called the attack “very serious,” and said that an improvised explosive device was used. The police determined that the bomb had been planted there earlier and was triggered remotely when the family approached it.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman also tweeted that he was “heartbroken and outraged by the brutal terrorist attack. No words to describe the sadness of the moment as we grieve and pray for the injured to recover. May they receive God’s blessings.”
The attack occurred at Bubin spring, a popular hiking spot several miles east of the city of Modi’in.
Greenblatt also slammed the Palestinian terror group Hamas for praising the attack, while calling on the world to rethink aid to the Palestinian Authority, which routinely provide payments to terrorists or their families.
“Hamas praised 17yo Rina Shnerb’s murder by Palestinian terrorists. The PA must unequivocally condemn this attack & the recent murder of 18yo Dvir Sorek. If they don’t, donor countries should demand the PA answer for why their donor funds continue to be used to reward attacks,” he tweeted.
