12-year-old Harry Potter fan championed by J.K. Rowling found murdered by Hamas
Shared by Israel's X account, story of autistic girl and her grandmother helped world see massacres; pair originally thought captured by terror group in vicious Oct. 7 incursion
By TOI STAFF Today, 4:52 pm
The bodies of Noya Dan, a 12-year-old autistic Israeli girl, and her grandmother Carmela, 80 who were initially believed to have been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza have been found, the Kan public broadcaster reported on Thursday.
On Monday, while Noya's fate was still unknown, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling retweeted a post highlighting the child's uncertain situation that was initially posted by the State of Israel's official X account.
Rowling wrote, "For obvious reasons, this picture has hit home with me," the author says, adding that kidnapping children is "despicable and wholly unjustifiable," and expressing hope for the release of all captives in Gaza.
In the past 12 days, Noya's voice was broadcast on Israeli media when her mother, Galit, shared her daughter's final voice memos.
"Mom, there was a big boom at the door that scared me," Noya said in Hebrew. "All the windows in Grandma's house were broken at the entrance. Because there was another boom, there are many broken windows. Mommy… I'm scared," she said.
Mother Galit told the Kan public broadcaster this week that "just because she is autistic doesn't mean she doesn't understand. She understands everything."