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US Envoy condemns killing of 17-year-old: ‘Another savage attack by Palestinian terrorists’

“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,” tweeted U.S. special envoy to the Mideast Jason Greenblatt.

By JNS

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.

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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.

Chairman Arthur Stark and executive vice chairman/CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Malcolm Hoenlein issued a statement saying, “This is the latest in a series of terrorist attacks, including car-rammings, assaults and stabbings. It is imperative that the Palestinian Authority extends its full security cooperation and provides the funding to security forces whose salaries have been cut, disincentivizing them. There must be decisive actions to stem the terrorism and the international community must be heard from, especially those who are so quick to criticize Israel for trying to protect its citizens.”

The statement continued, “This vicious act, using an explosive device, comes a day after [P.A. leader Mahmoud] Abbas once again reasserted his commitment to the ‘pay to slay’ program, rewarding those engaged in the kinds of terror attacks witnessed today and in recent days and inciting further outrages by providing lifetime funding for the perpetrators or their families.”

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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, pursuant to its official policy, provides regular payments to terrorists or their families.

“Hamas praised 17-year-old Rina Shnerb’s murder by Palestinian terrorists. The PA must unequivocally condemn this attack & the recent murder of 18-year-old 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.