Israeli forum says US dual citizen taken hostage dies in Gaza

A group representing the families of hostages held in the Gaza Strip stated on Friday that an American citizen with dual nationality was among approximately 240 individuals detained by Hamas during its attack on southern Israel on October 7 and died in captivity in the Strip.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that the deceased is Gadi Hajjai (73 years old), who also holds Israeli citizenship. Based on various sources of information, a committee appointed by the Israeli government announced the death of some hostages in absentia.

Hamas typically does not confirm such accounts, but it has warned that "time is running out" for those held in the Strip as the conflict approaches its twelfth week.

According to official Israeli statistics, 129 individuals are still detained in the Gaza Strip, with the rest either recovered in the November truce or during military operations. The Israeli government states that 22 of those still in Gaza have lost their lives.

The forum stated that between five and ten of the hostages hold American citizenship. There has been no comment yet from the US Embassy.

Reuters