Ottawa says three Canadians have been killed and four are missing since Hamas’ attack on Israel. Among the missing are three Canadian women who may have been kidnapped as hostages by Hamas, their families fear.
Shir Georgy
This young 22-year-old Canadian attended the Tribe of Nova music festival, as did Canadians Ben Mizrachi and Alexandre Look, who were killed at the scene.
When the Hamas attack began, the young woman, along with other partygoers and a policewoman, sought refuge in a safe shelter while the massacre took place outside. The last pictures of her show her slumped against a wall, shocked, holding a cell phone.
Shir’s father, Romen Georgy, told the Toronto Star that he managed to contact his daughter during the attack. She explained to him where she was and that everything was okay.
But finally the attackers stormed the accommodation. “Apparently when Hamas arrived, the policewoman told them that they had to run for their lives if they wanted to survive. They all separated and started to escape,” Georgy’s aunt, Michal Bougamin, told the Star.
Two of the young woman’s friends were killed and another was injured in a rocket explosion. However, the family still does not know whether Shir was able to escape, whether she was killed or kidnapped. Her body has not been found and she does not appear to be in any hospital, but she is also not on the official hostage list, the family said.
His phone was last listed on the cell phone network near Kibbutz Be’eri, which was also attacked by Hamas members who were stocking up on hostages there.
Vivian Silver
Vivian Silver, 74, is originally from Winnipeg but returned to Israel 50 years ago and lived on Kibbutz Be’eri, where about 120 people were killed by Hamas and dozens more taken hostage.
For Ms. Silver, a peace activist involved with Women Wage Peace and other organizations, her mission was to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of the Gaza Strip.
At the time of the attack, the septuagenarian found refuge in a closet, but ultimately was unable to escape Hamas.
Her son, Yonathan Zeigen, told various media outlets that he was able to speak to his mother on Saturday, in the middle of the attack.
“We texted until she told me they were in the house. And that’s all,” he told CTV News.
The Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee suspected she might be one of the Hamas hostages.
Tiferet Lapidot
At the age of 23, Tiferet Lapidot also took part in the Tribe of Nova music festival.
During the Hamas attack, the young woman tried to hide. “She called her mother and said, ‘I’m hiding in a bush. They shoot around me. I’m trying to save my skin,’ and the conversation ended,” her cousin, Montreal native Oran Zlotnik, told CTV News.
His family hasn’t heard from him since.
Her father, Ohad Lapidot, is convinced that his daughter was kidnapped by Hamas.
“Unfortunately, my daughter was apparently taken hostage by Hamas during the recent attack on the State of Israel,” he said in a video posted on social media.
“We don’t sleep at night anymore. Our days have become one long nightmare. […] I want to hug my daughter, that’s all,” Mr. Lapidot continued, criticizing what he saw as the Canadian government’s lack of effort to help find his daughter.