Israeli girl seen in viral 'Harry Potter' pic found dead in Gaza

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The 12-year-old Israeli girl whose “Harry Potter”-inspired photo went viral after she was kidnapped by Hamas has been found dead alongside her grandmother in Gaza.

Noya Dan and her grandmother, Carmela Dan, were found dead somewhere in Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday, according to Carmela’s niece Abbey Onn.

“There was an operation by the Israeli army some days ago at this point to retrieve bodies, and we believe that it took them time to run what we know to be three DNA tests and to identify that it was both of them,” Onn told NBC News’ Lester Holt.

Carmela would have turned 80 on Tuesday.

Her relatives in Israel hosted a birthday celebration for the woman less than 24 hours before learning of her death.

When Carmela vanished from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 along with her granddaughter, who had gone there for a sleepover, the family assumed both were taken hostage.

Noya Dan, 12, whose “Harry Potter”-inspired photo has gone viral on social media, was confirmed dead along with her grandmother. X / @Israel
Noya left a final voicemail for her mother describing loud explosions. Kan

Onn said Thursday the fact that they were found across the Israel-Gaza border may point to that conclusion, but it has yet to be established.

Noya emerged as a symbol of the plight of Israeli children targeted by Hamas after the official social media account of the State of Israel shared her photo wearing a Gryffindor tie and clutching a prop wand and a Hebrew copy of “Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince.”

The image has since been viewed more than 26 million times.

The bodies of Noya and her grandmother, Carmela Dan, were found by Israeli soldiers in Gaza. Facebook / Noam Dan

“This beautiful 12 year old girl with autism was kidnapped from her home by Hamas terrorists and was taken to Gaza,” the post accompanying the picture read on X, formerly Twitter.

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“Noya, is sensitive, kind, funny and a massive Harry Potter fan,” the message went on, before appealing to J.K. Rowing, the author of the “Harry Potter” book series, to help share the 12-year-old’s story.

Rowling promptly retweeted the post, writing in a message to her 14 million followers: “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.”

Noya sent her mother a final text message on October 7. Kan

Before Noya was taken from her grandmother’s home, she left her mother, Galit, a final voicemail, in which she described hearing loud explosions, reported the Israel network Kan Hadashot on Tuesday.

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“All the window’s in grandma’s house are broken, at the entrance, because there was another boom,” Noya could be heard saying in Hebrew, before moaning the word, “Mommy.”

Sahar and Erez Kalderon, Noya’s cousins, were also taken. Facebook / Noam Dan
Carmela would have turned 80 Tuesday. Kan

Galit said she received a final text message from her daughter around 12:30 p.m. local time on October 7.

She did not learn of what happened in Kibbutz Nir Oz until 4 a.m. the following day, when her sister told her that Noya, her mother, and the sister’s own sons, Sahar and Erez Kalderon, had been taken.

“What are they doing with her?” Galit said through tears, referring to her daughter Noya. “I hope they are together. I’m praying.”

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