The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday the death of twelve French nationals. Seventeen others are still missing, including four children.
A balance sheet revised upwards every day, and a growing concern. Twelve French nationals were killed in attacks carried out by Hamas in Israel on Saturday October 7. Seventeen others are still missing, according to the Foreign Ministry. Among them are four children, Emmanuel Macron informed the party leaders meeting on Thursday October 12 at the Elysée, franceinfo learned from reliable sources.
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When contacted, Catherine Colonna’s services clarified that the Quai d’Orsay “never” communicated the identity of the French victims. However, some relatives made their situation known to the media, allowing five of the twelve French deaths to be identified. Here’s what we know about them.
Dan, 27, killed in techno music festival attack
Dan Benhamou was 27 years old. This Franco-Israeli participated, Saturday October 7, in the Tribe of Nova techno music festival which was held in the Negev desert, near the border with the Gaza Strip. Around 5 a.m., as the party continued, a commando of Hamas terrorists fired rockets before bursting into the rave party. They sowed terror among the thousands of participants, taking dozens of young prisoners and more than 260 dead, including Dan.
This young man from Marseille emigrated to Israel with his relatives when he was five years old. “They had left Marseille because they felt that their security was no longer guaranteed,” a member of his family told France Bleu, according to comments reported by France 3 Provence-Alpes Côte d’Azur. Now residing in Ra’anana, a town north of Tel Aviv, Dan Benhamou had become commercial director of a chain of eyewear stores.
“He was a good boy, he didn’t serve in the army, he didn’t care about the war,” testified his big brother, Yohan, Parisian. His death was also confirmed to AFP by the president of the Israelite Consistory of Marseille. “We feared he had been kidnapped and his body was finally identified [mardi] evening. I got it from his family in France who are in mourning. (…) He was killed, his body riddled with bullets.”, added Michel Cohen-Tenoudji. His funeral took place Wednesday evening in Ra’anana.
Avidan, 26, also died in festival attack
One of the co-organizers of the Tribe of Nova festival was born in Bordeaux in 1997, according to France 3 Nouvelle Aquitaine. Avidan Torgeman, like Dan Benhamou, had dual French-Israeli nationality. His family had emigrated to Israel during his childhood, says the newspaper South West. His father had settled there as a doctor, but the family kept in touch with the grandparents who remained in the Bordeaux region, assured Claude Maman, regional chief rabbi, in an interview with France Bleu Gironde.
The deputy for the 8th constituency of French people living abroad, Meyer Habib, said he “friend” with the father of this victim. This elected official Les Républicains published the photo of the young man on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
The Jewish consistory of Bordeaux confirmed the death of Avidan Torgeman to the newspaper South West. The daily assured that this young man of 26 years “was hiding under the festival stage” of music when he was assassinated by Hamas terrorists. The body of this young festival-goer was able to be identified thanks to his biological passport, established during his military service, Claude Maman told France Bleu Gironde.
His funeral took place early Tuesday afternoon.
Sigal, 30, also killed in this attack
A France Télévisions team attended the funeral of a French woman, also killed during the attack on the music festival, on Wednesday. Her name was Sigal Lévy and she was 30 years old. This social worker was due to get married next January. “She was killed as soon as they got home” inside the Tribe of Nova festival, testified his mother, Annie Levy.
An American association for which the young woman was a volunteer also announced her death on Facebook. Hundreds of anonymous people attended his funeral on Wednesday in the Netanya cemetery in Tel Aviv.
Binyamin, 23-year-old soldier, died at the front
He must “ finish his military service in two months, come home and resume his computer studies”before “get married soon”. Aged 23, Binyamin Loeb died while fighting for the Israeli army, his mother, Judith Loeb, confirmed to AFP.
Originally from Yerres, in Essonne, he was the son of the rabbi of the town of Brunoy, which is located in the same department, assures the Actu.fr site.
Judith Loeb said her son was part of Unit 202, the one “religious paratroopers”. “He was sent to the front“, she continued, “unfortunately, he was hit by several bullets, and despite the care provided by his comrades, he did not survive”. Binyamin Loeb died on Sunday, confirmed the Israeli army and the mayor of Yerres, in Essonne. Olivier Clodong announced, on the social network “one of his children”.
The atrocious crimes committed by Hamas terrorists plunge us into astonishment and mourning. Yerres lost one of his children, Binyamin Loeb, 23, who died in combat. My affection for his family, my support for Israel, victim of barbarism. #Yerres #StandWithIsrael pic.twitter.com/7zBnJgTQXd
— Olivier Clodong (@oclodong) October 11, 2023
In order to “support the family in this ordeal”, a relative opened an online fundraiser. His funeral, attended Associated Press took place Tuesday in Jerusalem.
Valentin, 22, died defending a kibbutz
Valentin Ghnassia, originally from Montpellier, was about to celebrate his 23rd birthday and was doing his military service in Israel. His death was confirmed by the president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France Languedoc-Roussillon, Perlan Danan.
Israeli Information Ministry chief says Valentin Ghnassia is dead “defending the kibbutz of Beeri”details the Parisian. “He was supposed to finish his service in three weeks”we can read in the description of the online prize pool opened for his family.
The socialist mayor of the city of Montpellier also reported the death of the young man, expressing his “horror” on the social network
I learned with horror of the death of Valentin Ghnassia, whose life was taken by Hamas terrorists. Originally from Montpellier, his death further increases our pain.
To his mother, Geneviève, to his family and friends, I send all my condolences. pic.twitter.com/r0M3BCzpy8— Michaël Delafosse (@MDelafosse) October 11, 2023
His funeral took place at midday on Thursday in Jerusalem.