Liel Hetzroni

Liel Hetzroni
ליאל חצרוני
Born
Kibbutz Be'eri
DiedOctober 7, 2023 (aged 12)
Burial placeKibbutz Be’eri
Known forVictim of October 7 Attacks

Liel Hetzroni (also "Hezroni"; Hebrew: ליאל חצרוני; 2011 – October 7, 2023) was a 12 year old Israeli girl from Kibbutz Be'eri who was killed by Hamas during the October 7th attacks against Israel. She was burned alive inside her home along with her twin brother Yanai Hetzroni and her great-aunt Ayala Hetzroni.[1][2] Liel was eulogized at her funeral as "friendly and sensitive to all" and described as "a troublemaker with a pure heart, a girl with a huge laugh."[3]

Early life

Hetzroni was born in 2011 to her parents, Gavin Heller and Shira Hetzroni and lived in Kibbutz Be'eri, a communal settlement near the Gaza boarder in southern Israel.[4] Liel was born alongside her twin brother Yanai Hetzroni. Her mother suffered medical complications during their birth and was left with physical disabilities.[5] As a result, Liel and Yanai were raised by their great aunt Ayala Hetzroni from birth.[6] Liel attended school at the Nofei-Habsor school in the Eshkol Regional Council.[7]

October 7 attack and funeral

On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants entered Kibbutz Be'eri during its large-scale assault on southern Israel. Dozens of residents were killed and others were abducted. Liel Hetzroni and her great-aunt Ayala Hetzroni were initially listed as missing.[8][9]

Forensic investigators later identified her remains in Be'eri, initially thought to have been "burned beyond recognition."[2][10] Before confirmation of her death, her relatives had a symbolic funeral, burying some of her personal belongings.[11][12] After positive identification, she was laid to rest in Kibbutz Be'eri alongside other members of her family killed in the attack.[13][14]

Legacy

Hetzroni was one of the most widely reported child victims of the Be'eri massacre. Hetzroni's father believes she was murdered for being Jewish stating, "There was no other reason why these Hamas terrorists came in the kibbutz other than to kill, murder, maim Jewish children, babies, parents and old people all because they lived in the Jewish homeland."[15]

On July 4, 2024, Kibbutz Tze'elim hosted a bar and bat mitzvah in Liel and Yanai's honor. During the ceremony, the class representatives stated, "Liel and Yanai were an inseparable part of our class, spreading light and love wherever they went."[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ Lefkovits, Etgar (2023-11-17). "Family buries belongings of Liel, 12, burned alive during terror attack on kibbutz". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  2. ^ a b i24NEWS (2023-11-19). "Forensic team identifies body of 12-year-old Liel Hatzroni from Kibbutz Be'eri". i24NEWS. Retrieved 2025-11-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Staff, ToI (2023-11-20). "Ayala, 73, Liel & Yannai Hetzroni, 12: Great aunt and twins she raised". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  4. ^ "Father 'broken' after 12-year-old twins murdered by Hamas". The Independent. 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  5. ^ Staff, ToI (2023-11-19). "Remains of 12-year-old Oct. 7 victim Liel Hetzroni identified". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  6. ^ Lefkovits, Etgar. "Farewell to Liel, 12-year-old victim of Hamas". Israel Today. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  7. ^ Solomon, Eden. "Giving up hope, family of 12-year old Israeli, missing since Hamas massacre, says goodbye". Haaretz.com. Archived from the original on 2024-03-02. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  8. ^ "Body of 12-year-old from Kibbutz Be'eri identified | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  9. ^ Staff, ToI (2023-10-26). "Ayala Hetzroni, 73, and Liel Hetzroni, 12: Killed with their brothers". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  10. ^ "12-year-old girl missing since Oct. 7 found dead in Be'eri | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  11. ^ Lefkovits, Etgar (2023-11-19). "Remains found of 12-year-old girl burned alive by Hamas". JNS.org. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  12. ^ Lefkovits, Etgar (2023-11-17). "Farewell to Liel, 12-year-old victim of Hamas". JNS.org. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  13. ^ Rozovsky, Liza. "Four members of one Israeli family killed on October 7 laid to rest in Kibbutz Be'eri". Haaretz.com. Archived from the original on 2024-09-09. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  14. ^ "12-year-old from Kibbutz Be'eri confirmed dead, "Our broken heart refuses to believe"". Israel National News. November 14, 2023. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  15. ^ "Gaza war: Father of twins killed in Hamas attack says he is broken by deaths". 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  16. ^ "Classmates hold somber bar and bat mitzvah amid heartbreak over twins murdered on October 7". ynetnews. 2024-07-06. Archived from the original on 2025-08-06. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
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