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Americans who are missing or dead in Hamas attack on Israel

Families in the United States and Israel continued to pray for their loved ones who were missing in the wake of the brutal Hamas assault
PUBLISHED OCT 12, 2023
Deborah Matias, 50, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and Danielle Ben-Senyor, 34 were among th U.S. citizens who were killed in the Israel attack (Deborah Matias/Facebook,@AvivaKlompas/X, and @CNN/Youtube)
Deborah Matias, 50, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and Danielle Ben-Senyor, 34 were among th U.S. citizens who were killed in the Israel attack (Deborah Matias/Facebook,@AvivaKlompas/X, and @CNN/Youtube)

Young souls, activists, soldiers and other Americans missing or killed in the war 

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Natalie Raanan, 17 (L), Lotan Abir, 24, and Oriya Ricardo, 26 (R) are among the young souls who encountered harrowing moments of terror ( (@Keren Cohen/Facebook, Tamar Herzig/Facebook, and @oriya.richardo/Instagram)

On October 10, White House officials reported that 14 American citizens lost their lives, with over 20 individuals still unaccounted for following Hamas' assault on Israel and the list can grow longer. President Biden vehemently denounced the incident, labeling it as an act of "pure unadulterated evil." Here is a list of US citizens killed or still missing in Israel.

Hayim Katsman, 32

Hayim Katsman sacrificed himself to help a friend escape from the Hamas kidnappers. (Noy Katsman/facebook)
Hayim Katsman sacrificed himself to help a friend escape from Hamas kidnappers (Noy Katsman/Facebook)

Initially presumed to be a hostage on Ocotber 7, Katsman was tragically discovered dead in his residence on Kibbutz Holit, situated close to the southern tip of Gaza. His academic pursuits focused on researching conservative trends and radicalism within the Zionist religious community. Beyond his scholarly endeavors, he also had a passion for music, showcasing his skills as a bass guitarist and working as a DJ, specializing in Arabic music. 

Judith Tai Raanan, 59, and Natalie Raanan, 17

Judith Tai Raanan was visiting her family in Nahal Oz when Hamas attacked the village. Natalie Raanan, a recent high school graduate, was with her mother during the attack. (@Keren Cohen/Facebook)
Judith Tai Raanan was visiting her family in Nahal Oz when Hamas attacked the village. Raanan's daughter, Natalie Raanan, a recent high school graduate, was with her during the attack (@Keren Cohen/Facebook)

Residing in Evanston, Illinois, Judith Tai Raanan, a 59-year-old mother and her 18-year-old daughter, Natalie, were visiting relatives at a kibbutz near Gaza. Natalie, recently graduated from Deerfield High School, had earned accolades for her artistic talents. On the fateful day of Ocotber 7, Natalie's father, Uri, received a distressing message from his daughter, indicating they were under attack. Subsequently, all communication ceased, leaving relatives in tears as they shared the heart-wrenching ordeal with a reporter. 

Danielle Ben-Senyor, 34 

(@CNN/Youtube)
Israeli-American Daniel Ben Senior, 34, who had been missing since attending the Nova music festival near the Gaza-Israel border, has been killed, her father told CNN on October 11 (@CNN/Youtube)

A native of Los Angeles, Danielle Ben-Senyor, 34, relocated to Israel so she could be near her ailing parents, as shared by her cousin Riki Ben-Senyor. In the early hours of October 7, Danielle, who had previously served as an intensive-care nurse during the pandemic, departed Tel Aviv alongside a group of friends to partake in a music festival. Presumed missing initially, after the Hamas attack, her father told CNN on October 11 that she had been killed.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23

Hersh Golberg-Polin lost an arm when Hamas attacked the Nova desert festival (@AvivaKlompas/X)
Hersh Golberg-Polin lost an arm when Hamas attacked the Nova desert festival (@AvivaKlompas/X)

Embarking on his journey to the Tribe of Nova music festival, the 23-year-old California-born, Goldberg-Polin left home late night on October 6 equipped with nothing but a backpack and a sleeping bag. The following morning, his mother, Rachel Goldberg, anxiously checked her phone for any updates. His father, Jonathan Polin, said his son's two last messages, were: "I love you," and the second only: "I'm sorry." Goldberg-Polin, whose arm was blown off during the Hamas raid on the music festival according to eyewitnesses, was subsequently captured by the millitant group and hasn’t been heard from since.

Deborah Matias, 50

American citizen Deborah Matias and her husband, Shlomi Matias, were killed in Israel attacks while shielding their son from Hamas gunmen, her family says (Deborah Matias/Facebook)
American citizen Deborah Matias and her husband, Shlomi Matias, were killed in Israel attacks while shielding their son from Hamas gunmen, her family says (Deborah Matias/Facebook)

Deborah Matias, aged 50 and originally from Missouri, met a tragic end in Kibbutz Holit, a community established in 1978. She, along with her husband, Shlomi, lost their lives while courageously shielding their 16-year-old son, Rotem, with their own bodies. Rotem was also shot in the abdomen, but he was rescued after 12 hours and his life was saved.

Adrienne Neta, 66

Adrienne Neta, a beloved grandmother, was last heard screaming over the phone when Hamas broke into her home.
(Nahar Neta/Facebook)
Adrienne Neta, a beloved grandmother, was last heard screaming over the phone when Hamas broke into her home (Nahar Neta/Facebook)

Adrienne Neta, a 66-year-old grandmother and nurse hailing from California, found herself in a harrowing situation while sitting on her patio, engaged in a phone conversation with her family. In a blink of an eye, the terrorists entered her home and abducted her. 

Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35

Sagui Dekel-Chen has not been heard from after Hamas attacked Nir Oz, where he was living (@CNN/Youtube)
Sagui Dekel-Chen has not been heard from after Hamas attacked Nir Oz, where he was living (@CNN/Youtube)

Sagui Dekel-Chen of Connecticut, aged 35, vanished from the Nir Oz kibbutz and faced a similar fate after bravely resisting the terrorists who infiltrated his kibbutz. Dekel-Chen and his wife were anticipating the arrival of their third child.

Itay Chen, 19

Itay Chen was serving in the IDF when his unit was attacked by Hamas near the Gaza border (CNN/Youtube)
Itay Chen was serving in the IDF when his unit was attacked by Hamas near the Gaza border (@CNN/Youtube)

Itay Chen, a 19-year-old US-Israeli citizen and an IDF soldier, altered his duty schedule to attend his younger brother's upcoming bar mitzvah. Unfortunately, he is now missing in action, and the IDF has conveyed this distressing news to Chen's family.

Roey Weiser, 21

Staff Sgt. Roey Weiser was stationed at the Kerem Shalom border crossing (Naomi Feifer-Weiser/Facebook)
Staff Sgt. Roey Weiser was stationed at the Kerem Shalom border crossing (Naomi Feifer-Weiser/Facebook)

Roey Weiser, an Israeli-American soldier, made the ultimate sacrifice while courageously fighting in Israel, endeavoring to protect the lives of his fellow soldiers. The tragic incident unfolded as terrorists infiltrated his base, unleashing a brutal assault on Israeli soldiers within the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade.

Lotan Abir, 24

Lotan Abir was among the more than 260 killed at the Nova Music Festival.
(@Tamar Herzig/Facebook)
Lotan Abir was among the more than 260 killed at the Nova Music Festival (@Tamar Herzig/Facebook)

Lotan Abir, originally from Utah, met a tragic end while attending the Nova Music Festival near the Gaza Strip. In a shocking turn of events, over 50 Hamas terrorists paraglided in, ruthlessly claiming the lives of more than 260 partygoers. Abir, who had relocated to Utah in 2022 after completing his military service in Israel, was remembered by his local rabbi as a "fun-loving" young man.

Laor Abramov, 20

Laor Abramov was identified as a bomb shelter survivor who was allegedly among those kidnapped by Hamas 
(@D.j. Darwish/Instagram)
Laor Abramov was identified as a bomb shelter survivor who was allegedly among those kidnapped by Hamas militants (@D.j. Darwish/Instagram)

Laor Abramov, originally from New Jersey, reached out to his family from an Israeli bomb shelter on the day of Hamas' attack. His last communication was with his father in the morning around 7.30 am, expressing the harrowing situation, "People are shooting at us," he reportedly said, as shared by Abramov's aunt, Yael Abramov. Eyewitnesses say he was captured and taken away by Hamas militants.

Oriya Ricardo, 26

Oriya Ricardo, 26, was gunned down on Saturday at the Supernova festival along with more than 250 others (@oriya.richardo/Instagram)
Oriya Ricardo, 26, was gunned down on Saturday at the Supernova festival along with more than 250 others (@oriya.richardo/Instagram)

Oriya Ricardo, 26, was a victim of Hamas' raid on the Supernova psytrance festival attack on October 7. She was the youngest of three daughters. Hannie Ricardo, Oriya's mother, passionately labeled the assailants as "monsters," urging the world to unite and stand against such acts of brutality.

Aryeh Ziering, 27

Aryeh died on October 7 after the terrorist group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. He was 27 (@Debby Ziering/Facebook)
Aryeh died on October 7 after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. He was 27 (@Debby Ziering/Facebook)

Aryeh Ziering, aged 27, was raised Israeli, but had American parents. He tragically lost his life while rushing to the aid of an injured colleague. He was heading south from Tel Aviv as the terror attack unfolded on the morning of October 7. Ziering's aunt, Debby Ziering said, "We're shattered."

Cindy Flash, 67

Family members said they haven't heard from Cindy Flash, 67, since Saturday. They fear she may have been kidnapped or killed by Hamas (@kare11/Youtube)
Family members said they haven't heard from Cindy Flash, 67, since Ocotber 7. They fear she may have been kidnapped or killed by Hamas (@kare11/Youtube)

Amidst the chaos, Cindy Flash, a 67-year-old American woman, originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, and her Israeli husband, Igal, disappeared in the violence. Their fate is uncertain and it is presumed that they were also kidnapped by Hamas. Cindy Flash emigrated to the region to be a voice for peace and advocate for Palestinian rights, but was eventually taken hostage by those she was advocating for.

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