Current:Home > StocksU.S. confirms 22 Americans dead as families reveal details of Hamas attacks in Israel-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
U.S. confirms 22 Americans dead as families reveal details of Hamas attacks in Israel
View Date:2024-12-23 20:28:15
At least 22 U.S. citizens have been killed during the Hamas attacks on Israel, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said at a news conference Wednesday.
Kirby couldn't confirm details on where or how the Americans were killed, as the "individual circumstances are not exactly clear," he said.
The attacks have claimed more than 1,200 lives in Israel. At least 1,100 have been killed in the Gaza Strip, the Gaza Ministry of Health said Wednesday.
Seventeen Americans remain unaccounted for, Kirby said on Wednesday. "A number" of the missing are hostages of Hamas, he said, but would not give a number.
"We need to steel ourselves for the very distinct possibility these numbers will keep increasing," said Kirby. He said,"more Americans might be part of the hostage pool."
Addressing the families of the missing and killed Americans Kirby said, "We are grieving with you. We're sorrowful with you. We're worrying with you and we're going to do everything we can."
Kirby said that the U.S. offered assistance and counsel to Israel for hostage recovery.
Officials have not released information on the individuals killed, but Kirby said the U.S. State Department is actively working to reach out to the involved families.
Some family members have confirmed to CBS News the deaths of their loved ones. Academic and professor Hayim Katsman was murdered on Oct. 7 at Kibbutz Be'eri in Southern Israel while helping his neighbor and her children, his uncle told CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO.
Abe Katsman said his nephew was trying to hide the mother and her children when Hamas terrorists burst in and shot him. Katsman said his nephew was a "skilled auto mechanic, a more than adequate musician, and a horticulturist."
While studying the interrelations of religion and politics in the Middle East at the University of Washington, Katsman won the Baruch Kimmerling Prize in 2020 for best graduate paper, according to his university profile.
Deborah Matias, 50, and her husband Shlomi, were killed by members of Hamas militant groups during Saturday's attack, her father, professor Ilan Troen, told CBS News Boston. Troen said his daughter's last act of motherhood was defending her son, 16-year-old Roten, who is in a hospital recovering from his injuries.
"[Deborah and Shlomi] loved music, life, each other, their kids. I would ask him to think of the joy that they sought and had in their lives rather than the focus on that day," Troen said.
The parents of Aryeh Ziering, a 27-year-old Israeli-American, told CBS News on Saturday their son — who had remained in the Israeli military after his mandatory service because he wanted to protect his country — was one the first soldiers killed in action in southern Israel during Hamas's violent attacks on Saturday, his parents said.
Soldiers knocked on the Ziering's door on Sunday morning — "a knock you never want to get," his parents Debbie and Mark said, to inform them their son had died.
His father said Ziering is still very present and he can feel his energy, "but he's not coming back."
- In:
- Hamas
- Israel
Cara Tabachnick is a news editor for CBSNews.com. Contact her at [email protected]
veryGood! (9672)
Related
- To Protect the Ozone Layer and Slow Global Warming, Fertilizers Must Be Deployed More Efficiently, UN Says
- Massachusetts man indicted on charges of trying to open jet’s door, attacking crew on United flight
- Bulgarian parliament approves additional weapons to Ukraine to aid in its war with Russia
- What would a government shutdown mean for me? SNAP, student loans and travel impacts, explained
- Roster limits in college small sports put athletes on chopping block while coaches look for answers
- How to see the harvest supermoon
- Ex boyfriend arrested in case of Crystal Rogers, Kentucky mom who disappeared in 2015
- Deion Sanders still winning in Black community after first loss at Colorado
- Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones’ Infowars at auction with help from Sandy Hook families
- Man who was rescued after falling overboard from tanker has died
Ranking
- Officer injured at Ferguson protest shows improvement, transferred to rehab
- As mental health worsens among Afghanistan’s women, the UN is asked to declare ‘gender apartheid’
- Los Chapitos Mexican cartel members sanctioned by U.S. Treasury for fentanyl trafficking
- How Landon Barker Really Feels About Dad Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian Expecting a Baby Boy
- Mike Tyson concedes the role of villain to young foe in 58-year-old’s fight with Jake Paul
- Save $210 on the Perricone MD Skincare Product Reviewers Call Liquid Gold
- FDA updates Ozempic label with potential blocked intestines side effect, also reported with Wegovy and Mounjaro
- Kate Middleton Shows Off Her Banging New Look in Must-See Hair Transformation
Recommendation
-
Alexandra Daddario shares first postpartum photo of baby: 'Women's bodies are amazing'
-
US suspends aid to Gabon after military takeover
-
Chris Kaba shooting case drives London police to consider army backup as officers hand in gun licenses
-
Film academy to replace Hattie McDaniel's historic missing Oscar at Howard University
-
Philadelphia mass transit users face fare hikes of more than 20% and possible service cuts
-
Tech CEO Pava LaPere Found Dead at 26: Warrant Issued for Suspect's Arrest
-
Police charge man in deadly Georgia wreck, saying drivers were racing at more than 100 mph
-
An invasive catfish predator is eating its way into another Georgia river, wildlife officials warn