Palestinian terrorists ambushed and murdered at close range four Jews traveling in a car between Hebron and Kiryat Arba in the West Bank Tuesday night.

Early reports indicate that the passengers, two men and two women from the settlement of Beit Hagai, may come from the same family and that one of the victims was pregnant. The victims reportedly ranged in aged from 25 to 40.

According to Reuters, Hamas issued a statement from Gaza claiming responsibility for the attack. A Hamas spokesman praised the attack, saying it was in response to the "crime of the occupation."

It is the deadliest terror attack against Israelis since March 2008, when a Palestinian gunmen killed 8 students at Yeshivat Mercaz Harav in Jerusalem.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the perpetrators either sprayed the car with bullets from a passing vehicle or laid in wait for the car to pass. Haaretz reports that the car was traveling on Route 60 and entering Kiryat Arba when the attack occurred.

After landing in Washington, where peace talks with the Palestinians are scheduled for Thursday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said:

"My heart goes out to the victims and their families. I send a message of brotherhood and strengthen all our brothers And sisters in Judea and Samaria. "

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the terrorist act was most likely meant to derail peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians that are set to begin Thursday.

“This is very grave incident,” Barak said. “The IDF and Israeli security forces will do everything they can to capture the murderers. Israel will not allow terrorists to lift their heads and will exact a price from the murderers and those who sent them. This is likely an attempt by the low-life terrorists to prevent the diplomatic process and to hurt the chances of the talks opening in Washington.”

A spokesman for the South Mount Hebron settlers’ council told Israel Radio, according to The New York Times: “For the past 100 years there has been a link between the Jewish people’s desire to live and the Arab people’s desire to kill us.”

A spokesman for the Israeli embassy in Washington said that peace talks will commence despite the attack.

“It (the attack) impacts, but it shouldn’t derail the talks that are coming to fruition this week,” Jonathan Peled said. “This terror act is a clear sign of the imperative need for us to ensure that if Israel’s security needs are not addressed, it’s going to be very, very difficult to begin making concessions in the West Bank.

“The timing of this is deliberate to try and derail the Palestinians and all those who seek peace in the region from coming and sitting down at the table with Israel,” he said.