September 29, 2026
Fast Facts:
- 49 Americans were killed in the October 7 Hamas massacre, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
- 12 Americans were abducted during the October 7 Hamas onslaught; all have since been returned to Israel, alive or for burial.
- Americans have also been killed in Hamas attacks before and after October 7, including during the broader war that followed.
Updated September 2026
The October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of over 250 men, women, and children.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 49 U.S. citizens were killed in the October 7 massacre. 12 Americans were also abducted during the October 7 Hamas onslaught.
The American victims included young people attending the Nova music festival, families attacked in their homes, and American and dual American-Israeli citizens serving in the Israel Defense Forces.
Below is a list of Americans killed by Hamas on and before October 7, as well as Americans who lost their lives as Israel defended itself in the war that followed. The Justice Department's figure of 49 U.S. citizens killed on October 7 is the current federal total. The individual profiles below are based on victims documented by American Jewish Committee (AJC) and public sources and are not a complete list of all Americans.
How Many Americans Were Killed on October 7?
The number of Americans killed in the October 7 attack has been updated several times as authorities confirmed the fate of people who were initially missing or believed to have been taken hostage.
In the weeks after the attack, the U.S. government put the number at 32. By August 2024, a Congressional Research Service report cited at least 35. In September 2024, the Justice Department said 43 U.S. nationals had been killed.
The number rose to 47 by early 2025 and to 49 by October 2025, according to the Justice Department. The department continues to investigate the attack through the Joint Task Force October 7, established in February 2025.
Who Were Some of the American Victims of the October 7 Attack?
Among the American citizens and dual U.S.-Israeli citizens killed during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel were:
- Hayim Katsman, 32 — A dual U.S.-Israeli citizen and University of Washington doctoral graduate, Katsman was killed while protecting a neighbor during Hamas’ attack on Kibbutz Holit.
- Deborah (Devora) Matias, 50 — A dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, Matias was killed along with her husband, Shlomi, while shielding their teenage son, Rotem, at their home in southern Israel. Rotem survived.
- Cindy Flash, 67 — A dual U.S.-Israeli citizen and native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Flash was killed with her husband, Igal, after Hamas terrorists breached their safe room at Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
- Danielle Waldman, 24 — Originally from Palo Alto, California, Waldman was a dancer and photographer who was killed with her fiancé, Noam Shay, at the Nova music festival.
- Lotan Abir, 24 — From Utah, Abir was killed at the Nova music festival.
- Danielle Ben-Senyor, 34 — An Israeli-American who worked with organizers of the Nova music festival, Ben-Senyor was killed during the attack.
- Yannai Kaminka, 20 — A dual Israeli-American citizen and IDF soldier, Kaminka was killed while defending his military base near the Gaza border. He was credited with helping save more than 90 people.
- Roey Weiser, 21 — An Israeli-American IDF sergeant serving with the Golani Brigade, Weiser was killed fighting Hamas terrorists near the Kerem Shalom border crossing.
- Adir Mesikas, 23 — Born in New York and raised in Israel, Mesikas was a U.S. citizen who had served in the IDF's elite Yahalom unit. He was killed at the Nova festival.
- Amitay Ben Zvi, 80 — Born in New York, Ben Zvi was killed inside his home at Kibbutz Nir Oz after Hamas terrorists breached his reinforced safe room. His Filipino caregiver, Jimmy Pacheco, was captured and later released in a hostage exchange.
- Adrienne Neta, 66 — A U.S. citizen and California native, Neta was killed at her home in Kibbutz Be'eri. A musician and accomplished flutist and violinist, she had performed with the California Philharmonic Orchestra before moving to Israel.
- Itay Glisko, 20 — Born in Paramus, New Jersey, Glisko was a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen and IDF soldier serving with the Golani Brigade. He was killed on October 8 while fighting Hamas terrorists.
- Omer Neutra, 21 — A U.S.-Israeli citizen from Long Island and IDF tank commander, Neutra was killed on October 7. It was initially believed that Neutra was kidnapped, but later authorities determined he was killed on the first day of Hamas’ massacre. His body was later recovered from Gaza and returned to Israel in November 2025.
- Itay Chen, 19 — A dual U.S.-Israeli citizen and IDF soldier, Chen was killed on October 7 and initially believed to have been held hostage. His body was returned to Israel after 760 days.
- Judy Weinstein Haggai, 70, and Gadi Haggai, 73 — The couple, who lived in Kibbutz Nir Oz, were killed during the October 7 attack and taken to Gaza. Their remains were subsequently recovered and returned to Israel for burial. Judy was born in the U.S., raised in Canada, and later became an Israeli citizen, while Gadi was a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen with roots in New York.
May their memories be a blessing.
These are among the American victims documented by AJC; they should not be read as a complete accounting of the Justice Department's 49-person total.
Who are the Americans That Were Taken Hostage by Hamas?
A total of 12 U.S. citizens were abducted by Hamas on October 7. All twelve have now been returned to Israel, either alive or for burial.
Judith Raanan
Raanan, 59, an American from Illinois, was visiting Israel with her teenage daughter when the two were abducted from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7. Hamas released Judith and Natalie Raanan on October 20, making them the first American hostages freed. They were released following Qatari mediation efforts and returned to Israel.
Natalie Raanan
Natalie Raanan, 17, was abducted alongside her mother, Judith, while the two were visiting family in Israel. She was held for nearly two weeks before Hamas released them on October 20, 2023.
Liat Beinin Atzili
Beinin Atzili, 49, an American-Israeli citizen and mother of three, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. She was released on November 29, 2023, after more than 50 days in Hamas captivity. Her husband, Aviv Atzili, was killed during the October 7 attack.
Abigail Idan
Idan, a 4-year-old American-Israeli girl, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza after her parents were killed during the October 7 attack. She was released on November 26, 2023, after nearly seven weeks in captivity, becoming the first American hostage freed under the November cease-fire and hostage-release agreement.
Edan Alexander
Alexander, a 21-year-old American-Israeli citizen from New Jersey, was serving in the IDF's Golani Brigade when he was taken hostage. He spent 584 days in Hamas captivity before being released on May 12, 2025.
Sagui Dekel-Chen
Dekel-Chen, 35, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz. His wife was pregnant when he was abducted; during his captivity, she gave birth to their third daughter. He was released in February 2025 after nearly 500 days.
Keith Siegel
Siegel, 64, an American-Israeli occupational therapist originally from North Carolina, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza with his wife, Aviva. He was released in February 2025 after 484 days in captivity.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin
Goldberg-Polin, 23, was abducted from the Nova music festival. After nearly 11 months in captivity, Hamas murdered him and five other hostages in August 2024. His remains were recovered from a tunnel in Rafah and returned to Israel around September 1, 2024.
Itay Chen
Chen, 19, was killed on October 7 while serving as an IDF combat soldier. His body was subsequently taken to Gaza, identified, and returned to Israel in early November 2025.
Omer Neutra
Neutra, 21, was an American-Israeli IDF tank commander who was killed on October 7. His body was held in Gaza for more than two years before being returned to Israel on November 2, 2025.
Gadi Haggai
Haggai, 72, a U.S.-Israeli citizen, was killed near Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. His wife, Judy Weinstein Haggai, was killed alongside him. Their remains were recovered by Israeli forces in a special operation on June 5, 2025.
Judy Weinstein Haggai
Weinstein Haggai, 70, was killed alongside her husband while the couple was taking their morning walk near Kibbutz Nir Oz. Her remains were recovered alongside her husband's on June 5, 2025.
The return of the final American hostages brought an end to more than two years of uncertainty for their families. In November 2025, all 12 American hostages — those who survived and those murdered in captivity — had been returned to Israel.
How Did AJC Advocate to Bring the Hostages Home After October 7?
Following Hamas’ brutal attack on October 7, AJC advocated side-by-side with more than 50 hostage families—during their visits to the United States and Europe—to keep their stories front of mind for officials at the highest levels of leadership across society, including with more than 200 members of Congress, multiple national media outlets, the U.S. State Department, major U.S. administration officials, high-ranking diplomats, faith leaders, and more.
At AJC Global Forum 2026, Aviva Siegel, who was abducted by Hamas on October 7 along with her husband Keith, shared a deeply personal message of gratitude to AJC’s community, reflecting on the support that sustained her and Keith throughout their captivity.
“I know that you all are family. We went through hell together. I know that Keith and I were hostages, but I know that you were with us every minute, because I felt it, and I know it, and I want to thank you again.”
In addition to this in-person advocacy, AJC supporters around the world flooded the inboxes of members of Congress and state and local elected officials with more than 650,000 messages sent from AJC’s online action center, urging immediate action to bring the hostages home.
Who are the Americans Killed After October 7 by Hamas?
After October 7, additional U.S. citizens were killed while serving in the IDF or in other circumstances connected to Israel’s efforts to defend itself from terrorists in Gaza. These deaths are separate from the 49 U.S. citizens the Justice Department says were killed in Hamas’ October 7 massacre.
On January 22, 2024, the State Department reported that 23 American citizens had been killed in the broader Israel-Gaza war since October 7, including Americans serving in the IDF. This was an early-war figure and should not be understood as a current total.
Among some of the Americans who were killed in combat after October 7 are:
- Itay Glisko, 20 — A U.S.-Israeli citizen born in Paramus, New Jersey, Glisko served in the Golani Brigade and was killed on October 8, 2023, while fighting Hamas.
- Eliyahu Moshe Zimbalist, 21 — Killed while serving in Gaza in June 2024.
- Nadav Knoller, 30 — Killed while serving in Gaza in July 2024.
- Elkana Navon, 20 — Killed while serving in Gaza in August 2024.
- Benyamin Airley, 21 — Killed while serving in Gaza in November 2024.
These five are among the Americans who died after October 7; they are not a complete list of the Americans who lost their lives in the broader war. They are also not included in the Justice Department's list of 49 Americans killed in the October 7 attack.
Who Were the Americans Killed by Hamas and Other Terrorist Groups Before October 7?
Hamas has a history of attacks against American citizens dating back decades. The United States designated Hamas as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997.
Hamas was not the only terrorist organization in Gaza to target Americans. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has also carried out attacks against Americans and, like Hamas, receives support from Iran. PIJ members also participated in the October 7, 2023, attack alongside Hamas.
Among the Americans killed in attacks attributed to Hamas or other terrorist organizations in Gaza before Hamas’ October 7 massacre were:
- Alisa Flatow, 20 — Flatow, a New Jersey native, was killed in April 1995 when a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the bus she was riding near Kfar Darom in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. Iran provided support to PIJ, and Flatow's family later successfully sued Iran in U.S. federal court over its role in supporting the terrorist group.
- Matthew Eisenfeld and Sara Duker — The American students were killed in a February 1996 Hamas suicide bombing of a Jerusalem bus that killed 26 people.
- Malka Roth, Judith Greenbaum, and Chana Nachenberg — The three Americans were among those killed or fatally injured in the August 2001 Sbarro restaurant bombing in Jerusalem, an attack carried out by Hamas. Nachenberg survived the bombing but remained in a coma for more than two decades before dying from her injuries in 2023.
- Marla Bennett, Benjamin Blutstein, Dina Carter, Janis Coulter, and David Gritz — The five Americans were killed in the July 2002 bombing at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, an attack attributed to Hamas.
- Alan Beer — Beer was among the victims of the June 2002 Jerusalem bus bombing carried out by Hamas.
- Eitam Henkin — Henkin, an American citizen and Israeli resident, and his wife, Naama, were killed in a September 2015 drive-by shooting near Nablus. The attackers were members of a Hamas cell.
- Richard Lakin, 76 — Lakin, an American-Israeli educator and civil-rights advocate, was shot and stabbed by Hamas operatives during an October 2015 attack on a Jerusalem bus. He died two weeks later from his injuries.
- Taylor Force, 28 — Force, a U.S. Army veteran and Vanderbilt University graduate student, was fatally stabbed by a Hamas attacker in March 2016 while visiting Israel with fellow students.
How has the U.S. Responded?
The U.S. government has pursued criminal investigations and charges against Hamas leaders over the October 7 attack and the killing and kidnapping of American citizens.
In September 2024, the Justice Department unsealed terrorism, murder-conspiracy, and sanctions-evasion charges against senior Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh. At the time, the department said more than 40 Americans had been murdered in the October 7 attack and at least eight American citizens had been taken hostage or remained unaccounted for.
In February 2025, the Justice Department established Joint Task Force October 7, bringing together federal law enforcement and prosecutors to investigate the attack, pursue those responsible for murdering and kidnapping Americans, and investigate related terrorism and civil-rights violations.
By October 2025, the department's public accounting had risen to 49 U.S. citizens killed in the October 7 attack.
Remembering the Americans
The American victims of October 7 came from different backgrounds and generations. Some were attending a music festival. Some were parents and grandparents living in communities near Gaza. Others were American citizens serving in the IDF who died fighting the Hamas assault.
The eight Americans taken hostage experienced another dimension of the attack: abduction, captivity, and, in the cases of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, Gadi Haggai, and Judy Weinstein Haggai, death.
Their stories also illustrate why the number of American victims has changed over time. Some people initially believed to be missing were later confirmed dead; some victims' remains were held in Gaza for months or years before being recovered; and federal investigations have continued to identify and document victims.
