Australian grandmother Galit Carbone has been confirmed as the first Australian killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Australian government said on Wednesday.
Ms Carbone, 66, was living in Israel and was reportedly found dead outside her home in the Be’eri kibbutz near the Gaza border.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed Sydney-born Galit as the first Australian victim of the war.
“The Australian government has received confirmation of the tragic death of Galit Carbone, an Australian citizen murdered in the attacks on Israel by terrorist group Hamas,” Minister Wong said in a statement.
“On behalf of the government, I wish to convey my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Ms Carbone.
“Australia unequivocally condemns the attacks on Israel by Hamas. There is no excuse for the deliberate killing of innocent civilians.”
The Guardian reports the 66-year-old grandmother’s body was found on the ground outside her home. More than 100 people have been found dead at the kibbutz where Ms Carbone resided, and were mostly civilians, Nine adds.
The area was allegedly among the first places targeted by Hamas in the October 7 attacks, with Hamas militants reportedly arriving on motorbikes around 7am—around half an hour after breaking through the Gaza border.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil appeared on Channel 7 to share her condolences with Ms Carbone’s family and the Jewish community.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told Sunrise there are more than 10,000 Australians living in Israel, and more who would have been in the region on holiday.
There have not been any further reports regarding other Australians currently in Israel or Palestine.
The most recent death toll from the conflict has climbed into the thousands, with recent reports counting at least 510 Palestinians and 800 Israelis killed, with thousands more injured.
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