World enews: British girl, 16, killed in Hamas attack along with mother and sister, family say

A British teenager was murdered in Hamas’s attack on Israel, along with her mother and 13-year-old sister, her family has said.

Noiya Sharabi, aged 16, and her sister Yahel disappeared after the Palestinian militant group attacked Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel after breaking through the border from Gaza on 7 October, killing some 1,400 people, including the girls’ British-born mother Lianne.

Yahel’s death was confirmed last week, and her family told the BBC on Sunday that Noiya has now been formally identified.

“Noiya was clever, sensitive, fun and full of life – her smile lit up the room like a beacon,” they said, adding that she “embraced every opportunity to help others, particularly those less fortunate than she, and was a gifted student and linguist”.

“Most importantly, she was an amazing granddaughter, cousin and niece. We are heartbroken she has gone, but forever grateful she was here.”

The girls’ father Eli is still missing, while other relatives are said to be among the more than 200 people feared to have been kidnapped by Hamas, after the militants broke through .

Their mother Lianne, 48, first moved to Israel as a volunteer on a kibbutz when she was 19, before relocating there permanently, according to the BBC, and UK-based relatives said the family visited at least once a year.

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