The family of British 16-year-old Noiya Sharabi confirmed to BBC that she was killed along with her 13-year-old sister, Yahel, and their mother, Lianne, in the Hamas attacks on Israel.
The girls and their father, Eli, had been reported missing in the Oct. 7 attack, disappearing from Kibbutz Be’eri, an Israeli settlement in Southern Israel that was targeted in the blitz. The girls’ mother was killed in the attack, and Yahel’s death was confirmed last week. The girls’ father and other relatives remain missing.
Noiya and Yahel Sharabi’s mother, British-born Lianne Sharabi moved to Israel to volunteer at a kibbutz before deciding to relocate permanently. Her family visited her at least once a year. Lianne reportedly messaged family members on WhatsApp during the Hamas attacks saying that she could hear gunfire and shouting, saying “this is a whole other story” compared to the usual security alerts she received on the Gaza border.
ADVERTISEMENT
“She lived a beautiful life and will be sorely missed by the heartbroken family and friends she leaves behind,” her family said.
Confirming Noiya’s death, her family said that she was “clever, sensitive, fun and full of life - her smile lit up the room like a beacon.” They described her as a “gifted student” who always “embraced every opportunity to help others, particularly those less fortunate than she.” “We are heartbroken she has gone, but forever grateful she was here.”
After Yahel’s death last week, her family wrote in a statement: “Beautiful Yahel. A bundle of unbridled energy and joy, with a cheekiness that you could not help but smile at and a brain which was sharp as a tack.” They said she loved riding her bike, playing football and making TikTok and Youtube videos with her sister and cousins.
Raz Matalon, Eli’s brother-in-law, called on the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, to visit Israel to show his support like the leaders of Germany, France and the U.S. have, calling it “the right thing to do.”
Sunak announced on Monday that at least six British citizens died, and at least ten people are missing in the Hamas attacks. The British government also chartered flights out of Israel, transporting around 500 British people out of the country.
