‘Harry Potter Girl’ Kidnapped by Hamas Dies... JK Rowling Calls It a "Despicable Act"

Became Famous on SNS Wearing Harry Potter Clothes
Body Found with Grandmother Ten Days After Disappearance

An Israeli girl, who became a hot topic as an ardent fan of the novel series ‘Harry Potter,’ was kidnapped by the Palestinian militant group Hamas and found murdered, sparking outrage. The author of ‘Harry Potter’ also expressed anger, calling it a “despicable act.”

On the 19th (local time), according to the New York Post (NYT), Israeli public broadcaster Kan, and the daily Times of Israel (TOI), Noya Dan (12) was found dead along with her grandmother Carmela Dan (80) in a location in the Gaza Strip the previous day. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed their identities through three rounds of DNA testing after recovering their bodies.

They went missing on the 7th while staying at Nir Oz Kibbutz (a collective farm) in southern Israel near the Gaza border. On the day of Hamas’s surprise attack, Noya left a voice message to her mother Galit saying, “There is a loud noise, and all the windows of grandma’s house are broken, it’s scary.”

The family presumed that Noya was taken hostage by Hamas while spending the night with her grandmother. A relative living in Tel Aviv, Ido Dan, said there is a possibility that Noya, who has autism spectrum disorder, was killed during the abduction. He added, “Noya tends to scream when stressed,” suggesting that this might have led to her being killed by Hamas terrorists.

Israeli girl Noya Dan, who was kidnapped by Hamas and later found deceased [Photo by X (formerly Twitter) capture]

Galit, who has currently fled to Tel Aviv, said through local broadcasts that the bodies of Noya and Carmela are being returned and that “the remaining missing family members are still unaccounted for.”

Noya has become a symbol of Israeli children targeted by Hamas through photos posted on Israel’s official social network service (SNS) accounts. In the photos, Noya is wearing a Harry Potter tie and holding a magic wand and the Hebrew edition of ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.’

J.K. Rowling, the author of ‘Harry Potter,’ also posted on her SNS a post featuring Noya’s photo, expressing anger by saying, “Kidnapping children is a despicable act and cannot be justified.” She added, “I hope all hostages kidnapped by Hamas, including Noya, return safely to their families.”

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces estimate that 203 hostages have been taken by Hamas. Israel announced on the 20th that most of the approximately 200 hostages abducted and detained are still alive. According to AFP news agency, the IDF stated in a released statement that “most of the hostages are alive, and there are also bodies being transferred to the Gaza Strip.”

The hostages are reportedly held dispersed across various locations in the Gaza Strip by Hamas and another Palestinian militant group, the Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.