Girl From Thessaloniki, Greece Shot Dead in Israel by Hamas

A young woman born in Thessaloniki, Greece was found dead as a result of the Hamas attack on Israel’s Supernova music festival.

In total, more than 260 bodies of men and women were reportedly recovered. Friends and acquaintances shared their grief as they reflected on the life of the 23-year-old victim.

Details of this tragic incident became known to the Greek media from the story of a friend of hers. The Israeli woman, who was from Thessaloniki and had been living in Israel since she was a child, had spent every summer in Greece. She was among the approximately 3,500 young people who were at the music festival disrupted by Hamas terrorists.

She, like other Supernova festival-goers, was reported to have attempted to escape. Unfortunately, as the woman ran, she was shot dead in the back.

The Israeli Embassy in Greece confirmed the tragic situation, saying the victim, Eden Ben Rubi, was shot by Hamas militants as she ran for her life.

Η Έντεν Μπεν Ρουμπι δεν είναι πια ανάμεσα μας!
Η #Ισραηλινή με καταγωγή από τη Θεσσαλονίκη που επισκεπτόταν κάθε καλοκαίρι την #Ελλάδα από μικρό παιδί δολοφονήθηκε πισώπλατα από τη #Χαμάς ενώ έτρεχε να σωθεί. Η κτηνωδία δεν έχει ορια! Συλλυπητήρια στην οικογένεια της! Είναι… pic.twitter.com/w0j5WdqbI8

— Israel in Greece 🇮🇱🇬🇷 (@IsraelinGreece) October 11, 2023

Friend Shared Memories of Greek-Israeli Girl Who Died in Israel

A friend of the 23-year-old girl, who had known her for many years from the Jewish camp in Litochoro, shared his memories with Greek media. He described her as a vivacious, energetic, and joyful person, full of life and exuberance.

She was a cheerful young woman who worked in a shopping center in the city of Rishon LeTsiyon, her friend said. Like all Israeli citizens, she began her two-year military service at the age of eighteen.

We barely escaped Supernova festival in the south of #israel alive. Many people weren't as lucky as we were. I documented as much as I could during said escape. I posted everything on my Instagram. An entire recount of events pic.twitter.com/9eeDreIJnN

— Shye K (@ShyeKlein) October 11, 2023

Jewish Community of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki had a population of more than fifty thousand Jews prior to World War II. Some forty-six thousand of them were deported and killed at German Nazi death camps.

Before deportations began, the city which was mainly comprised of Sephardic Jews whose ancestors had been chased out of Spain in 1492, had flourished to such an extent that it had earned the nickname “The Jerusalem of the Balkans.”

According to the 2015 census, Thessaloniki’s Jewish community has approximately one thousand members and four synagogues.

Terrorists’ Threats to Execute Hostages

On Monday, Hamas threatened to execute hostages if Israel carried out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip without advance warning to residents. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced their intention to retaliate by executing an Israeli civilian captive for each new Israeli bombing of civilian homes without prior notice.

The threats came in response to Israeli airstrikes that, according to Palestinian officials, killed hundreds of children, women, and elderly in their homes.

The Israel Defense Forces informed about a hundred families that their relatives were being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan confirmed that Israel estimates the number of hostages to be between 100 and 150.

In response to this crisis, Israel launched a “total blockade.” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Gaza would not receive any supplies, including electricity, food, water, or fuel. The Gaza Strip has already endured a sixteen-year blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt.

In addition, the United States has begun supplying Israel with essential ammunition and military equipment to support its ally during the ongoing conflict with Hamas. President Joe Biden has confirmed that at least eleven Americans were killed during the weekend’s violent events.