Israeli family, including three children, slaughtered in Hamas invasion

Entire family from Nir Oz among the hundreds of Israeli victims of Gaza invasion into southern Israel.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

An entire Israeli family, including a mother, father, and the couple’s three children, were confirmed Monday to be among the more than 700 victims of Gaza’s invasion of Israel over the weekend.

Tamar Kedem-Siman Tov, a 35 year-old resident of Nir Oz and candidate for mayor of the Eskhol Regional Council, was murdered on Saturday, along with her husband Yonatan “Johny” Siman Tov, the couple’s son, four-year-old Omer, and their daughters, six-year-old twins Shachar and Arbel.

“Tamar Kedem-Siman Tov, a trailblazing activist, succeeded in everything she did,” Tamar’s friend Tzofia Cohen wrote on Facebook.

“She was an excellent scout coordinator in Ashdod, that’s how I met her 14 years ago – she was industrious, smart, full of positive energy, practical, connected well to everyone.”

“Recently, we went back to being in close contact; we met, we spoke, I visited her home in Nir Oz, she consulted with me and enlisted me for an important process she was planning, not only me, but anyone who could give new points of view to her work for the residents of the Eshkol Regional Council, and then she decided to run for the head of the regional council.”

“My heart bleeds. Tamar was murdered in Kibbutz Nir Oz with her husband Johny (Yonatan) and her three children, Arbel, Shachar, and Omer. Their holy memories should be a blessing. I so much hoped that they would be found, and the bitter news hit me; Tamar, my love, I’m having trouble believing; how can this be? What type of lowly people kill babies with their parents? It is so hard to think that you are no longer. My heart is with your parents, your siblings, and Johny’s family.”

Nir Oz, one of the border towns in the Gaza frontier area, was overrun by terrorists during the invasion Saturday, and one of a roughly a dozen towns where residents were murdered, abducted, or held hostage en masse.

Israel acknowledged Sunday that at least 100 of its citizens – soldiers and civilians – are still being held captive in Gaza.

Hamas claims it abducted 163 Israelis, while Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups involved in the invasion also claimed to have taken Israelis into captivity.

It is estimated that 180 Israelis were taken captive, though dozens of them are believed to have been killed after being captured.