‘Deepest Condolences’: Australian Citizen Killed in Israel

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has confirmed the death of Galit Carbone.

Rockets explode in the night sky of Ashkelon, Israel, on Oct. 10, 2023. CNN/Screenshot via NTD

An Australian grandmother from Sydney has been killed in the attacks by terrorist group Hamas in Israel.

Galit Carbone, 66, was found metres from her home in Be'eri kibbutz, about 5 kilometres from the Gaza Strip border.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong confirmed the death of Ms. Carbone during the attacks.

“The Australian Government has received confirmation of the tragic death of Galit Carbone, an Australian citizen murdered in the attacks on Israel by terrorist group Hamas,” she said.

“On behalf of the Government, I wish to convey my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Ms. Carbone.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is currently providing consular assistance to Ms. Carbone’s family, both in Israel and in Australia.

Ms. Wong said Australia unequivocally condemns the attacks on Israel by Hamas, adding there is “no excuse for the deliberate killing of innocent civilians.”

“The loss of life from these attacks has been devastating and unacceptable. Australia has called for the attacks to stop and for the immediate and unconditional release of all those taken hostage,” Ms. Wong said.

“Our thoughts are with all those killed and injured in these attacks and all others affected. Australia continues to urge the protection of civilian lives at all times.”

A missile explodes in Gaza City during an Israeli air strike on Oct. 8, 2023. Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images

Tributes Pour In

Ms. Carbone, the first Australian victim of the Hamas attacks on Israel, previously worked as a librarian in a quiet village in Southern Israel.

Cousin Julian Cappe and his wife Lisa Cappe said the family are in a “state of numb shock.”

“We’re not sure if she was killed in her home or dragged out and killed, but her body was not found in her house,” Mr. Cappe told The Herald Sun.

“Over the last few days they’ve [Ms. Carbone’s family in Israel] just gone through all the ranges of emotion, from hearing what happened to thinking that she’s been a prisoner to hearing confirmation that she was killed.”

The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies (NSWJBD) said they are deeply saddened to hear Ms. Carbone was murdered by the “depraved Hamas barbarians.”

“We wish a long life and strength to her family at this unthinkably tragic time. Jews around the world, as well as all people of good faith, share in their devastation,” they said on Facebook.

“May her memory be a blessing.”

In another heartfelt tribute, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) said the Australian Jewish community is in mourning.

“We mourn with the Carbone family at this terrible time and stand with the people of Israel and all the nations affected by this mass atrocity,” the ECAJ said.

More Than Americans Missing

Meanwhile, at least 20 Americans are missing after the Hamas attack on Israel on the weekend.

President Joe Biden confirmed that Americans are among those being held hostage by Hamas.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said 20 people are unaccounted for, but it does not necessarily mean there are 20 American hostages.

“We believe that there are 20 or more Americans who at this point are missing, but I want to underscore and stress that does not mean necessarily that there are 20 or more American hostages. Just that is the number who are currently unaccounted for,” Mr. Sullivan said.

‘Act of Sheer Evil’: Biden

President Biden described the Hamas attack as an “act of sheer evil” in a press briefing at the White House on Tuesday.

“More than 1,000 civilians slaughtered — not just killed, slaughtered — in Israel.  Among them, at least 14 American citizens killed,” he said.

“There is no justification for terrorism.  There is no excuse. Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination.  Its stated purpose is the annihilation of the State of Israel and the murder of Jewish people.”

Israeli fire brigade teams douse the blaze in a parking lot outside a residential building following a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, on Oct. 7, 2023. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli forces have now “reasserted control” of areas near the border with the Gaza Strip, according to an Israeli military spokesman.

“In the last day, not a single terrorist [Hamas militant] entered via the [Gaza-Israel] fence,” Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Oct. 10.

Hamas terrorists launched an unprovoked attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killing and kidnapping citizens including women and children.

At least 1,500 people, including innocent Israeli civilians, have been killed since the Iran-backed terrorist group Hamas instigated an attack on Israel from Gaza on Saturday.

The Global Imams Council has condemned the attacks saying they stood with the Jewish people in their struggle against the “ISIS-like Islamist terrorism carried out by Hamas.”

“The Global Imams Council [GIC] has consistently stood against Hamas, its genocidal antisemitism, and annihilationist ideology,” the Council wrote in a statement.

“GIC condemns the extremist and violent rhetoric displayed at rallies taking place in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, and elsewhere.”

Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have taken to social media to express horror and outrage at the attacks.

Mr. Obama, posting on X (formerly Twitter), said all Americans should be horrified and outraged by the brazen terrorist attacks on Israel and the slaughter of innocent civilians.

“We grieve for those who died, pray for the safe return of those who’ve been held hostage, and stand squarely alongside our ally, Israel, as it dismantles Hamas. As we support Israel’s right to defend itself against terror, we must keep striving for a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” he said.

Mr. Clinton said “as the atrocities committed by Hamas become ever more horrifyingly clear, it can seem too painful to endure”.

“But we cannot and should not allow ourselves to look away. These grotesque crimes were designed to dehumanize and desensitize. We owe it to the victims to bear witness—so that we can unite against terror and do everything we can to ensure this is never repeated,” he posted on X.