The war between Israel and Hamas: A British father’s agony when he learned that his daughter, 12, was killed by terrorists in the Israeli kibbutz massacre six weeks ago – in a brutal act that also killed her twin brother

• Gavin Heller, 50, from north London, was deeply saddened by the news
• His daughter, Lil, 12, was killed along with her twin brother, Yanai, by Hamas
• Leal was identified through shrapnel found on Kibbutz Be’eri after the attack

A British father of twins has told The Mail on Sunday of his anguish and devastation after just learning that his daughter’s remains were found on the night of the 12th, in Kibbutz Be’eri six weeks after Hamas terrorists burned down the house, killing her twin brother Yanai.

Every day is a real nightmare, says Gavin Heller, 50, a salesman from north London.

“I don’t even have a body to bury, they only found fragments.”

“The only reason my children died is because they are Jewish, along with infants and innocent children.

“I will never see my children grow up, or have children of their own. It’s a constant nightmare.

“On October 7, my sister called me and asked me to spread the news. When I realized that Hamas terrorists had committed a massacre on their way to Israel, my first thought was of the children.

“But I was unable to contact anyone by phone for several days. I eventually contacted the Foreign Office and got a visit from counter-terrorism police in London.

“For weeks I did not know where the children were, nor did I know if they had been kidnapped by Hamas, or if they had been injured.

I wasn’t there to protect them, it killed me. Lots of conflicting news and I was in the unknown.

“It was so chaotic I had no idea what happened and it was the worst you could think of and it was indescribable.”

Unfortunately, three weeks later, the Counterterrorism Unit came to my house and told me that Yanai had been identified through his DNA, as well as his grandfather, Avi Hatzroni.

“Words cannot describe how you feel after your son died in this massacre. I fell to my knees.”

Gavin waited agonizingly for six weeks until he learned Lil’s fate.

“The family in Israel buried Yanai and his aunt Aylus, but because at this point Lil couldn’t be found, they buried some of her toys.

“Then after she was buried last Saturday, Lil was identified through her DNA. There were reports that parts of her body had been found, and that’s all that’s left.

He added: “Her death was not just a dagger in the heart, but knowing that there was nothing left of her is very tragic.”

Gavin says the children’s mother Shira was unable to walk and talk after falling ill after giving birth to the twins, and Gavin had to take care of her.

Leal and Yanai grew up in a loving kibbutz community with Shira’s aunt Ailus and her grandfather Avia, whose bodies have also been identified, helping raise the children from birth.

“I eventually had to move to London to support them, but I remain close to the children and visit them when I can.”

My parents are devastated, we all are. All I wanted was to be as good a father as possible, and I tried to do my best. Circumstances forced me to live far away from her, but I did my best.

“No one knows how they died. I can imagine that they were held hostage with 12 people in another house. I imagine that they were shot and that Hamas burned the house.

“I still don’t know why there’s nothing left of Lille, I don’t know and I don’t want to think about it.”

“It’s a surreal feeling, I wake up at night and then it comes to my mind… I think it’s a form of trying to accept that something like this could happen.”

“Lil was a beautiful little girl, she was creative, she loved make-up and drawing, like any other 12-year-old girl.

Yani loved all sports, especially on the kibbutz. He was learning English and it was great that we could speak English. He was more of an introvert than Lil.

“The last conversation I had with Lil was her little voice note, she left me a message saying she wanted some perfume as I was scheduled to see them last October.

“Her last recording was on WhatsApp.”

So much has happened that I haven’t been sad yet. I plan to go to Israel soon.

“We will be holding a memorial service for the night this week in England, while Yanai has a memorial ceremony at my father’s house.

“I truly hope in my heart that something like this never happens again. Never again, it is now.