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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Kieren Williams

Two British sisters killed in West Bank shooting named as mum critically injured

The two British sisters who were shot dead in the West Bank have been named by Israel's Prime Minister.

Benjamin Netanyahu named the two sisters as Rina and Maya Zakharan. They also use the surname Dee.

Local media reported one was 15 and the other was in her 20s - but there have been conflicting claims over their ages.

The car they were in was shot at in the shocking incident that left their mother seriously injured.

It came after significant escalations in violence in the region, with a car ramming into a crowd at a beach after Israel bombed Lebanon and bombarded the Gaza Strip.

Their car was hit in the Israeli settlement of Hamra, 30 miles north of Jerusalem. The family is said to have moved to Israel from the UK in 2005.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks yet but Hamas hailed it as 'retaliation' (afp/AFP via Getty Images)

In the statement, Netanyahu wrote: "On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, I send my condolences to the Di Mafart family for the murder of the two wonderful sisters, Rina and Maya Zakharan, in the severe attack in the Bekaa.

"In these moments, if the family is fighting for its life, and together with the entire nation of Israel, I pray for its safety, and we all send our condolences and strength to this dear family in this moment of great sorrow."

No group has claimed responsibility for the shooting but a Hamas spokesman called it a "retaliation for the crimes committed by Israel in the West Bank and the Al Aqsa mosque".

A UK Foreign Office spokesperson previously confirmed the deaths of two British-Israeli citizens and the injuries to a third person - their mother.

There are concerns that recent spiralling violence may continue to worsen (ALAA BADARNEH/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

They added: "The UK calls for all parties across the region to de-escalate tensions."

Violence has been growing worryingly between Israeli and Palestinian forces since brutal crackdowns at the Al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem earlier this week.

This was followed by a rocket salvo from Lebanon and Gaza into Israel with as many as 34 rockets being fired.

This attack was just one of two yesterday, as a second saw a car drive into a crowd at a popular beach resort in Tel Aviv, killing one Italian tourist and injuring a number of others, including Brits.

Police said a car smashed into a group of people near a popular seaside park, before it flipped over.

The sisters' mum was seriously injured in the shooting (afp/AFP via Getty Images)

It was reported that six British and Italian tourists were injured, with one killed.

In one of the shocking attacks yesterday, a 30-year-old Italian man was killed as four others, including a 17-year-old, were injured.

They received medical treatment for mild to moderate injuries, the rescue service said.

Israel's Foreign Ministry referred to the incident as a "terror attack", a term Israeli officials use for assaults by Palestinians.

Prior to the shooting, Israel's military hit sites in Lebanon and Gaza. The cross-border fighting follows two nights of police raids at the iconic al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

The shooting in the West Bank may spark a wider conflict, it is feared.

Daniel Levy, president of the US/Middle East Project, told Al Jazeera: "Endless denial of freedoms and rights for the Palestinians under occupation – living under the repressive Israeli regime – is inevitably going to lead to people taking up whatever forms of resistance – that’s what happens across the board, globally, historically."

Israel's bombing of Hamas sites in Lebanon and the militant barrage it followed is believed to be the biggest flare-up across that border since the 2006 Hezbollah - Israel War.

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