The Siman-Tovs were murdered in cold blood along with most of their village on Saturday
An American-Israeli family reportedly told friends they were dying in horrific messages sent as Hamas rampaged through their community.
Tamar Kedem-Siman Tov, her husband Johny and their three young children were living in the Nir Oz kibbutz, a few kilometres from Gaza, when militants broke through Israel’s fortifications.
They were killed on Saturday along with Johny’s 70-year-old mum Carol on Sunday and dozens more civilians.
Only 160 of their 400 neighbours are known to still be alive, with survivors describing waking up to a ‘kibbutz in flames’ and the sounds of gunfire.
Friends initially hoped the young family had reached safety
Friends of the Siman Tovs initially received reassurances that the family was safe, but reality started to set in as news of the savage attack spread around the world.
‘Hi guys, we got into the shelter in our house, we’re all going okay,’ Tamar messaged her friends in Sydney, Yishai and Mor Lacob, at around 2.45pm on Saturday.
Mor told the Sydney Morning Herald: ‘It started to get really scary. We’re trying to call her, message her.
Johny’s mum Carol was shot dead in her own home nearby despite reaching her safe room
‘We were trying to speak with people there … people we might know in this area, we were harassing everyone.’
The Lacobs say they stopped receiving messages from their friends around an hour later.
Johny’s sister, Ranae Butler, then received an terrifying update from her brother.
‘They’re here. They’re burning us. We’re suffocating,’ he wrote, in messages seen by CNN.
The family is one of hundreds lost in Saturday’s bloodbath
Johny, 36, Tamar, 35, their children, two-year-old Omer and five-year-old twins, Arbel and Schachar, and Carol have all since been found dead.
The cause of death for the parents and children has not been confirmed, although Carol is known to have been shot dead in the safe room of her nearby home.
They are among 27 US citizens known to have been killed in the assault, with 14 still missing.
The Siman Tovs were living in Nir Oz, a kibbutz not far from Gaza
Israel says more than 1,300 people were killed in rocket attacks and ground assaults by Hamas.
Palestinian authorities say 1,500 have been killed in Gaza, including 500 children, since the start of Israel’s retaliatory air strikes.
The identities of nearly 100 Israeli hostages taken to Gaza has been confirmed, though the actual number is expected to climb significantly.
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