British teenager missing after Hamas attack has been murdered, family says

A British teenage girl said to be missing with her sister after the Hamas attacks has been murdered, her family has said.

The death of 13-year-old Yahel was confirmed to the Israeli embassy in London by relatives on Tuesday. Her mother, Lianne, was also killed. Her sister, Noiya, 16, and father, Eli, are still missing.

The family, whose surname has not been revealed, lived in Be’eri, a kibbutz in southern Israel near the border with Gaza.

Speaking to the BBC while Yahel was still thought to be missing, her family described her as “funny, all the time” and said she loved to sing and dance. The family has not released the girls’ surname.

Of Lianne, the family told the BBC she was “a beloved daughter, sister, mother, aunt and friend who enriched the lives of all those lucky enough to have known and loved her”.

“She lived a beautiful life and will be sorely missed by the heartbroken family and friends she leaves behind,” they said.

In the most recent update, the Israel Defence Forces said 199 families had now been notified that their loved ones were being held hostage.

The hostages are believed to be mostly civilians, ranging from babies to people in their 80s. Many have dual nationality, with about 20 thought to hold US citizenship.

Hamas has claimed that 22 Israeli hostages have been killed in airstrikes since the war began 10 days ago, and has warned that it will kill hostages in response to unannounced Israeli strikes on civilian targets.

Be’eri, where the British-Israeli teenage girls lived, was the scene of unimaginable horror on Saturday 7 October, as Hamas gunmen overran the kibbutz, shooting and seizing people.

More than 100 members of the community were killed and many families spent hours in the safe rooms of their homes, pleading for help on WhatsApp.

More details soon …