Ireland 'united in mourning' over Israel killing

Kim Damti's sister said she was an angel

Ireland is "united in mourning" after an Irish-Israeli woman was killed in last weekend's Hamas attack at a music festival, the taoiseach (Irish prime minister) has said.

Kim Damti, 22, was last seen at the Supernova music festival in Re'im in southern Israel on Saturday.

The killings were part of a wave of surprise attacks in Israel launched by Hamas.

More than 260 bodies have been recovered from the site.

Paying tribute to "vibrant" Ms Damti, Leo Varadkar said she was "struck down in her prime with her adult life ahead of her".

"Kim gave happiness and joy to her family and those around her," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Paying tribute to her sister on social media, Laura Damti said the family had lost "our angel, our flower".

She said her sister had been "murdered by cursed terrorists".

Mr Varadkar added: "As we learn of her death, we pause to think of her, her family in Israel and Ireland and of all those now grieving in countless other nations."

He also described her death as "senseless and barbaric".

Ms Damti's funeral took place on Thursday at 17:00 local time at the cemetery in Gedera, about 25 miles (40km) south of Tel Aviv.

Ireland's Ambassador to Israel Sonya McGuinness attended the funeral.

The death toll in Israel from the Hamas attacks has reached 1,200 - while more than 1,200 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

Kim Damti's family console each other during her funeral

'Love and encouragement'

In a statement to Irish broadcaster RTÉ, her aunt Pat Cooper thanked everyone who had supported the family "with love and encouragement" since Saturday.

Irish President Michael D Higgins sent condolences to Ms Damti's family, describing the circumstances of her death as "truly appalling".

"It is not only those of us who are parents, but all of those who feel that young people should be free to attend events with their peers in conditions of safety, who will find such circumstances where a young life is taken so appalling," he said.

He said her death was a reminder of the "outrageous breach of fundamental international law in conditions of conflict it is to target civilians in this way."

Kim Damti was last seen at the Supernova festival near Re'im in southern Israel

Micheál Martin, who is tánaiste (deputy prime minister) as well as foreign minister, said he had spoken to Ms Damti's family and sent them heartfelt condolences on behalf of the Irish government and people.

"We are with them in their grief," he said.

"For anyone to lose a child is devastating. To lose a child in such circumstances is indescribable.

"May her memory be a blessing."

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald sent the Damti family condolences as they "endure the heartbreak of the loss of her young precious life".

"A trauma that should not be inflicted on any family," she added.

Meanwhile an Irishman said that his eight-year-old daughter had also been killed in Saturday's attack by Hamas on the Kibbutz Be'eri.

Tom Hand, who is originally from Dublin, said his daughter Emily had gone to stay at her friend's house in the kibbutz near Gaza on Friday night.

He told broadcaster CNN it was two days before he found out she was dead.

Mr Hand said it was a relief to find out that she was dead rather than kidnapped.

"That is the best news of the possibilities that I knew," he said.

"She was either dead or in Gaza, and if you know anything about what they do to people in Gaza, that is worse than death, the way they treat you.

"She would be terrified every minute, hour, day and possibly years to come. So death was a blessing, an absolute blessing."

The Israeli military said it had thousands of troops ready near the border of Gaza for a potential ground invasion, following days of air-strikes on the territory.

On Thursday, Israel's Energy Minister Israel Katz said the siege of Gaza will not end until Israeli hostages are released.

About 150 hostages were taken into Gaza by Hamas during the attacks over the weekend. Israel then stopped supplies to the territory.

Writing on social media, Mr Katz said: "No electrical switch will be turned on, no water hydrant will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home.

"Humanitarian for humanitarian. And no one will preach us morals."

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