Autistic Girl, Grandmother Taken Hostage by Hamas Killed, Israeli Officials Say

Fans of the Harry Potter franchise have lost another Potterhead after the bodies of 12-year-old Noya Dan and her 80-year-old grandmother Carmela were recovered by Israeli emergency services after they went missing after Hamas's deadly sabbath attack on October 7.

The family of Carmela and Noya - who was also reported to be autistic - have been clinging to hope that they would be found as hostages and not as part of the deceased.

Missing Potterhead

Prior to the announcement, the Jerusalem Post reported that Israel's foreign ministry took to X, formerly Twitter, to reach out to Harry Potter series author JK Rowling to let the world know that a Potterhead was missing after Hamas's attack.

"Noya is sensitive, kind, funny, and a massive Harry Potter fan," the tweet wrote while sharing a picture of her sporting a Hogwarts-related costume. "@jk_rowling, can you help us get her story out?"

Rowling responded by retweeting the post.

"Kidnapping children is despicable and wholly unjustifiable," she said. "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."

Noya's Last Moments

Galit Dan, Noya's mother, shared her daughter's tragic final voice message to her while hiding inside her grandmother's home in the Nir Oz kibbutz before the confirmation of her death was reported.

"Mom, there was a big boom at the door that scared me," she was heard saying in Hebrew in a voice note played by her mother to Israeli media.

"All the windows in Grandma's house were broken at the entrance. Because there was another boom, there are many broken windows. Mommy... I'm scared."

Aside from Noya and Carmela, three other members of the Dan family - Ofer, Sahar, and Varez - were understood to be still unaccounted for.

"Just because she is autistic, doesn't mean she doesn't understand. She understands everything," Galit told local media. "Where are they keeping her? What are they doing with her? I hope they're together, praying."

However, the Dan family confirmed on Facebook late Wednesday night (October 18) that the bodies of both Noya and Carmela have been identified by rescue workers.

"Carmela Dan [and] Noya Dan are no longer with us," Sharon Calderon wrote. "May they be remembered for love. We continue to fight to bring Ofer, Sahar, [and] Varez home."

The deaths were also confirmed by the Israeli foreign ministry.

"We are devastated to announce that Noya and her grandmother Carmela's bodies were discovered yesterday," the tweet update wrote. "Thank you to all of you who shared her story to help us bring her home. Our hearts are broken."

Tags

Israel, Palestine, Gaza, Hamas, Autism, Autistic, Autism spectrum disorder, ASD, Harry Potter, Jk rowling, Hogwarts