The rising death toll includes more than 1,400 Israelis killed, in addition to at least 199 others have been taken by Hamas into Gaza
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has tragically claimed over 4,000 lives. The war was sparked by a brutal attack by the terrorist group on October 7, in which more than 1,400 Israelis were indiscriminately killed in communities around Gaza. Among the victims, 260 people attended the music festival and were also subjected to violence on the same day.
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In addition to the rising death toll, the Israeli government reported that at least 199 people, including children, had been captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza. On the Palestinian side, the Gaza Health Ministry recorded 2,750 deaths and 9,700 wounded.
Although the identities of all casualties and hostages remain largely unknown to the public, the Israeli government has identified some of the victims, including a daughter who initially decided not to attend the Tribe of Nova music festival but changed her mind at the last moment. An Israeli jewelry designer described as having a “gentle soul,” an elderly couple married for more than 50 years, a third-generation Israeli soldier, and many others deeply affected by this ongoing violence.
As officials have worked to identify those who lost their lives, those who are still missing, and those taken hostage by Hamas, the surviving family members have started to share insights into who these individuals were, offering a glimpse into their personalities and the lives they led.
A dancing daughter texted her family, ‘I am not coming home’
Karin Jarno, 24, recently suffered a setback with a broken leg, and she pulled out of attending the Tribe of Nova Music Festival on Saturday, October 7, with her friends. She was so satisfied with her decision that she even sold her ticket. However, just a week before the event, she changed her mind—a choice that would change the course of her life forever.
That same morning, as about 3,500 young Israelis gathered at a stage for electronic music and were celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot with joyous dancing and singing, dozens of Hamas terrorists breached Israel’s heavily fortified separation fence. They entered the country from Gaza and opened fire on people.
At 8:43 a.m. on that fateful Saturday morning, a 24-year-old woman who worked at a French-Israeli airport sent a heartbreaking final text to her loved ones. According to her father, Doran Jarno, the message read, “To the whole family, I just want to say I love you so much because I’m not coming home.”
“Since that message, we haven’t heard anything. We don’t know if she’s dead or in Gaza. We don’t know anything,” her father lamented.
“My daughter did not go to war,” he lamented. “She just went to dance.”
An Israeli jewelry designer with the ‘softest soul’ remains missing
Moran Stella Yanai’s art beautifully encapsulates cultures from around the world as she inserts delicate pearls into silver and stainless steel chains. Tragically, she didn’t get a chance to revisit her artistic endeavors after attending the desert rave on Saturday, where she is among the hundreds still missing after the attack by Hamas terrorists.
In the days leading up to the music festival, Yanai shared a video on her Instagram of going to the event, but her family has not seen or heard from her since.
Dan More, Yanai’s brother-in-law, found it difficult to talk about her past in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. However, the harsh reality for the family is that they spotted her in a video on TikTok of her being taken by Hamas.
“Moran was a very gentle soul,” recalls More. “Her kindness and sensitivity, especially towards animals, was remarkable. She was so deeply concerned about the welfare of animals that she was deeply distressed by the thought of animals being harmed because you couldn’t eat the meat around her.”
He added, “My beautiful dear sister-in-law, aunt to my children. She has a big heart, she has a big heart, and I hope that heart is still sending.”
A grandfather was killed by Hamas and a grandmother was taken captive
Adina Moshe, 72, and her husband of more than 50 years, David, were sheltering in a bomb shelter in a kibbutz near the Israel-Gaza border on October 7 when Hamas rockets hit civilian communities.
Subsequently, the terrorists moved into the surrounding communities, indiscriminately attacking civilians, including tragically the Moshe family living in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Adina’s granddaughter, 25-year-old Anat Moshe, shared in a telephone interview Thursday that her family saw a video of Adina Moshe in a red shirt being taken away from her home on a motorbike by Hamas militants.
Anat revealed that her grandmother had undergone heart surgery only a year ago and had not heard from her since the Hamas coup. She explained that the fighters also took the life of her grandfather during the attack.
“They are so incredibly in love that it’s hard to put into words,” shared Anat Moshe emotionally. She remembers how Adina would lovingly prepare David’s favorite meals, especially Iraqi cuisine, and how their Shabbat table was always filled with warmth and family.
Adina and David’s love story and their family life began in Nir Oz, where they initially crossed paths at a community pool, marking the beginning of their journey together.
A teenage Israel Defense Forces soldier remains missing
Ronnie Eshel, a 19-year-old soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, was able to send his mother Sharon a reassuring text message about three hours after the Hamas attack began last Saturday. In her message, Roni expressed her love and told her mother that she was busy but okay, even though the situation was aggravating.
However, more than a week has passed and her parents are still waiting for further communication or updates about their daughter’s well-being. Her father, Eyal Eshel, described the unheard agony from Roni as “hell”.
Eyal Eshel, expressing the deep sense of uncertainty and worry that plagues him and his family, said, “I don’t know what to do. I really don’t know what to think. Where is she? What is she eating? Is she cold? If she’s hot? I don’t know anything.”
Ronnie Eshel Nahal was in the communications unit at a base near Oz and had only returned to work on the Wednesday before the attack. Her family is very proud of their multi-generational commitment to the Israeli army, as her father, uncle, and grandfather also served.
Eyal noted how happy his daughter is to serve her country and is in the third month of her second year of mandatory military service.
The official death toll and number of missing persons reported by the Israeli government continue to rise more than a week after the terror attack. These figures are expected to increase as the Israel Defense Forces prepare for a ground invasion of Gaza.