Funeral held for aunt, niece murdered on Oct 7, even though latter hasn’t been identified

By Jessica Steinberg

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14 November 2023, 6:09 pm

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Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center

Liel (left), Avia (back) and Yanai Hetzroni, from Kibbutz Be'eri. They were killed along with their aunt Ayala Hetzroni in the Hamas assault on Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7, 2023. (Courtesy)

A ceremony is being held Wednesday in Kibbutz Revivim’s cemetery to bid goodbye to Ayala and Liel Hetzroni from Kibbutz Be’eri, even though there is no official identification for Liel.

In place of the 12-year-old’s body, personal items that belonged to Liel will be buried.

Liel and her aunt Ayala were killed along with Liel’s twin, Yanai, and the twins’ grandfather, Avia Hetzroni. Yanai and Avia Hetzroni were buried October 23 in Revivim.

Omri Shifroni, a relative of the family, tells Ynet that no one came out alive from the Hetzroni home on October 7.

“As a secular family, we know they were killed and it’s less important to us to have an official stamp,” says Shifroni. “We’re bidding Liel goodbye because the situation is impossible.”