An Irish-Israeli woman who went missing after Hamas attacked a music festival at the weekend has been confirmed dead.
Kim Damti, 22, was at the event in Re’im in southern Israel when she was last seen, the Irish government confirmed.
The festival was attended by several hundred people when Hamas gunmen opened fire.
Her sister Laura paid tribute to Ms Damti on Facebook, calling her “our angel, our flower. Kim my blood. Who was murdered by the cursed terrorists.”
In a statement tonight the Irish foreign minister, Michael Martin, said: “When news reached us over the weekend that an Irish citizen was one of the many hundreds missing after the repugnant terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel, we hoped against hope that she would be found safely.
“The news that this hope has now been extinguished is devastating.
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“Anyone looking at the photo of Kim in the media over the last few days will have been struck by the radiance and energy in her expression; a young 22-year-old woman with a whole life ahead of her, full of promise.
“For anyone to lose a child is devastating. To lose a child in such circumstances is indescribable.”
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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar added: “As a nation we are united in mourning for Kim Damti. This vibrant young Irish-Israeli woman was struck down in her prime, with her adult life ahead of her.
“Her death, and the deaths of more than a thousand other citizens of Israel and from around the world, was senseless and barbaric.”
Around 250 people are believed to have been murdered at the festival near the Gaza border on Saturday.
