Hope turns to grief for families of the victims

Tears of British mother as she buries son last seen fleeing desert attack

- Anthony France

THE British mother of a man killed with his fiancée in the Supernova festival massacre broke down in tears at his funeral in Israel.

Dor Shafir, 30, had been planning his wedding to Savion Kiper, 31, next summer. Miryam Shafir, 55, and his father Itzik were consumed by grief as they buried their son at a cemetery in Modi'in Maccabim.

Mrs Shafir had held out hope that her son would be found alive when a witness claimed to have seen the couple fleeing to their car as Hamas terrorists opened fire on crowds, killing 260 in the Negev desert on Saturday.

But on Tuesday, the family was told that both bodies had been discovered.

Meanwhile, a devastated father said he welcomed news that his eight-yearold daughter had been killed by Hamas because it was better than her being taken hostage.

Thomas Hand faced an unbearable two-day wait for news about his daughter Emily after the terrorists stormed their kibbutz at around 7am on Saturday, massacring at least 100 people.