The Israeli authorities confirmed on Wednesday, 18 October, that the dead bodies of the 12-year-old Israeli girl Noya Dan and her 80-year-old grandmother, who were kidnapped by the Hamas terrorists, have been recovered. According to Israeli news sources, their bodies were found burned near the Israel-Gaza border fence by workers for the ZAKA Search and Rescue organisation.
Noya Dan’s ordeal gained international attention after Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling had posted about her abduction. The terrorists reportedly kidnapped Noya Dan and her 80-year-old grandmother during the 7 October attack on civilians in the Jewish state.
The Israeli government verified that the autistic girl was killed alongside her granny Carmela Dan. They expressed gratitude to those “who shared her story to help us bring her home” and added that “our hearts are broken.”
We are devastated to announce that Noya and her grandmother Carmela’s bodies were discovered yesterday.
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) October 19, 2023
Thank you to all of you who shared her story to help us bring her home.
Our hearts are broken 💔. https://t.co/1I9r4fibsP
The minor’s photograph, which showcased her in a costume like a character from the popular Harry Potter series was released by the Israeli administration which called her “sensitive, kind and funny.” Following their appeal for international assistance to free her from Hamas’ custody, the renowned author JK Rowling tweeted the story and vehemently denounced the Palestinian terror organisation for targeting kids.
She remarked that her “picture has hit home with me”. She termed the action of abducting kids as “despicable and wholly unjustifiable.” She hoped, “May Noya and all hostages taken by Hamas be returned soon, safely, to their families.”
Kidnapping children is despicable and wholly unjustifiable. For obvious reasons, this picture has hit home with me. May Noya and all hostages taken by Hamas be returned soon, safely, to their families. https://t.co/YIbf3egib4
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 16, 2023
Noya became the face of Israel’s despair after the Harry Potter author commented on the post. However, all the attempts to return her home by the Israeli government were unsuccessful.
Following her death, Noya’s family shared a heart-wrenching video footage where the 12-year-old can be seen singing with her mother. The footage is from just a month before she was killed.
The background of the gut-wrenching incident
On the fateful day of the assault, Noya, her grandmother and three other family members named Erez Kalderon, Sahar Kalderon and Ofer Kalderon were taken from a Jewish settlement. The elderly matriarch of the Kalderon-Dan family who had been residing in Kibbutz Nir Oz close to the country’s border with Gaza was being visited by Noya Dan. Hamas kidnapped the five people and brought them to Gaza.
A video that surfaced showing 11-year-old Erez being dragged away by Hamas infiltrators confirmed that they had been held prisoner, according to Abbey Onn, another member of the family who has been trying to track down her five relatives. When the assailants stormed inside their place, Noya’s mother had shared an agonising farewell conversation with her. “Mummy, I’m scared. There are people in the house, help me.” She begged the woman over the phone and it turned out to be their last chat.
“Carmela is an avid cook, gardener and compassionate caregiver. Together with her late husband, she has dedicated years to selflessly facilitating medical care for Palestinians from Gaza in Israel. With age, she has suffered from heart problems and the onset of dementia. Noya, who loves Harry Potter, is a bright young girl on the autism spectrum, sensitive to noise, light and touch,” Abbey Onn wrote in The Hill on 18 October. Ofer was Carmelia’s son, and Erez and Sahar were her grandchildren. The whereabouts of these three individuals are still not known.
With the intention of using them as negotiating chips to secure the release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, Hamas took about 200 Israelis as captives including women, men, babies and the elderly. Tragically, several of them have already passed away while in custody, making this Israel’s largest hostage crisis to date.
