'Mommy I’m scared': Final messages of autistic Harry Potter fan, 12, who was killed by Hamas alongside her gran

19 October 2023, 12:36 | Updated: 19 October 2023, 14:35

Heartbreaking final messages of a 12-year-old Harry Potter fan who was murdered by Hamas terrorists have been shared by her devastated family members.

Noya Dan, who was autistic, and her grandmother Carmela, 80, were missing when gunmen attacked Israel on October 7.

Their family had been clinging to hope that they were kidnapped but the family confirmed last night that their bodies had been identified by rescue workers.

The Israeli ministry of foreign affairs confirmed their deaths.

Noya’s mother has previously shared her daughter’s final tragic voice messages.

“Mom, there was a big boom at the door that scared me,” she is heard saying.

“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,” she said.

Harry Potter fan Noya’s disappearance sparked support from the books’ author JK Rowling.

She posted online: “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.”

Israel has struggled to identify some of the dead due to the brutality of the attacks, and has had to confirm more than 1,400 deaths after the biggest loss of Jewish life on a single day since the Holocaust.

JK Rowling had tweeted about Noya when it was announced she was missing.

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In a photo shared widely online, Noya was pictured smiling and wearing a grey jumper and Gryffindor-style tie as she held a wand and clutched a Hebrew copy of Harry Potter.

She was described as "sensitive, kind, funny and a massive Harry Potter fan" as Israel's official X asked Rowling to help get her story out.

Rowling posted: "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."

It is understood there are still three more members of the Dan family are missing. Hamas is feared to have captured some 200 people as hostages.

Rishi Sunak visited Israel today and met some of the relatives of the missing, and he was pictured embracing them.

"Working with our partners, we're determined to secure the release of the hostages taken by Hamas terrorists," he said.