The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday identified the female soldier who was killed in the terror attack in East Jerusalem the night before as 18-year-old Sergeant Noa Lázar, The Times of Israel reported.
The young soldier, a native of Kibbutz Bat Hefer in northern Israel, was a member of the Erez battalion of the Military Police. She was promoted to the rank of sergeant after her death.
Lazar and a civil guard were hit by an armed terrorist who opened fire at the Shuafat checkpoint in East Jerusalem on Saturday night.
Both were rushed to a hospital in Jerusalem for medical treatment after the attack, according to police and doctors.
The military said Lazar was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her death was announced hours after the attack after her family was notified.
From the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, they reported this morning that the guard underwent surgery overnight and remained in serious condition on a respirator.
Prime Minister Yair Lapid and President Yitzhak Herzog mourned Lazar’s death and vowed that the security forces will stop the terrorist.
“It is with a broken heart that I received the news of (her) death,” Lapid said. “On behalf of myself and the government of Israel, I send my condolences to her family & friends. There are no words to alleviate the great loss of him.”
“We will not be calm or rest until we find the depraved terrorists,” he said.
“I send my condolences to the bereaved family of IDF soldier Sergeant Noa, for whom the joy of the holiday turned into terrible sorrow, and I pray for the recovery of those injured in the attack in Jerusalem,” Herzog said.
“No despicable terrorist will break our spirit. We will fight against terrorism and continue to build our lives and celebrate our holidays. We trust the IDF and the security forces,” he noted.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz tweeted: “I feel deep sorrow over the death of IDF fighter Sergeant Noa Lazar in the Shuafat checkpoint attack. I wish a full recovery for the injured. The fight against terrorism will continue in all sectors and with the required intensity. We will catch the heinous terrorist and everyone who helped him.”
The Palestinian terrorist apparently arrived on foot and fired on security forces at the checkpoint around 9 pm before fleeing to the nearby refugee camp with the help of a car.
Two Border Guard officers were slightly injured by shrapnel in the attack.
Following the attack, security forces raided the Shuafat refugee camp in search of the attacker and two other suspects. Special forces units and a helicopter participated in the search. Jerusalem District Police Commander Doron Turgeman said the identity of the three suspects is known to police.
Public Security Minister Omer Barlev, who arrived at the scene along with senior police officers, assured that the security forces “will lay their hands on the attacker, dead or alive.” Barlev confirmed that the shooter is a 22-year-old resident of Shuafat.
Police announced that three suspected accomplices were arrested. The 20-year-old suspects are residents of Shuafat and Anata, in Judea and Samaria (West Bank), and Beit Hanina, in East Jerusalem.
Three family members of the suspected shooter were also detained in Shuafat, Army Radio reported.
A man suspected of driving the terrorist turned himself into the police and is not believed to have been an accomplice.
The driver claimed he was taking the shooter to Modi’in when Modi’in got out of the vehicle at the checkpoint and fired at least seven rounds before his gun jammed.
The Gaza-based Hamas terror group said it “blesses the heroic operation,” while calling the attack “a reaction to the raids in al-Aqsa and the occupation’s aggression against Jenin today .” Two Palestinians were killed this Saturday during an IDF arrest operation in Jenin, in northern Judea and Samaria (West Bank).
“These operations send the message that the revolt of our people is ongoing and will not abate and that the operations, shootings and shootings of our youth in rebellion will hunt down the occupants and the settler herds everywhere in response to their crimes and raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque,” Hamas continued, although it did not explicitly claim responsibility for the attack.
Celebratory fireworks were reported in Shuafat after the shooting.
The incident comes as the army and police are on high alert in Jerusalem and the West Bank during the Jewish holiday season.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
