Update:
A man from Vancouver who was reported missing in Israel is now confirmed dead after an attack by Hamas on a music festival.
Ben Mizrachi was attending a music festival in Southern Israel on Saturday when Hamas militants opened fire.
King David High School in Vancouver, where Mizrachi graduated from in 2018, first posted about his disappearance on Saturday.
The school then posted an update on Tuesday, saying Mizrachi has been confirmed as one of the casualties, describing him as being full of joy with a big personality and smile for everyone.
MP for Vancouver Granville Taleeb Noormohamed calls Mizrachi a wonderful young man.
Mizrachi is the second Canadian citizen confirmed dead amidst the conflict in Israel.
A couple from Montreal says their 33-year-old son, Alexandre Look, was also killed during the raid at the Tribe of Nova music festival, which resulted in the death of at least 260 people.
Officials are calling it one of the deadliest militant attacks in Israeli history, with nearly 1,600 people on both sides confirmed dead.
Airstrikes in Gaza have claimed 830 lives and resulted in destruction on an unprecedented scale.
https://www.chch.com/second-canadian-confirmed-dead-following-attack-on-israeli-music-festival/
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Original:
The parents of a Vancouver man who is missing in Israel following the Saturday attack by Hamas have flown to Israel to look for him.
Ben Mizrachi’s disappearance was initially reported by his former high school, which broke its Shabbat communication protocols to ask for prayers for people in Israel.
“Please say extra prayers for King David alumnus, Ben Mizrachi, class of 2018, who was attending an event in the South (of Israel) and is missing,” said King David High School on social media. “Please keep Ben and his family in your prayers.”
Rabbi Jonathan Infeld of Beth Israel Synagogue in Vancouver said Mizrachi’s parents, who live across the street from him but attend a different synagogue, have travelled to Israel to look for their son.
“I was with the family and there’s no words. I’ve never made a more difficult house call,” he said of his visit with the parents. “There’s nothing that a person can say in a situation like that.”
Ginaya Peters, whose family attends the same synagogue as Mizrachi’s family, said Mizrachi was attending a music festival that came under attack near the border with Gaza.
She urged the Canadian government to do what it can to get Mizrachi back safe.
“Our hope is that when Canadian citizens are in danger like that, they are working it and they do what government is supposed to do and get any Canadians in harm’s way out of them, whether its negotiations or working back channels,” Peters said. “We need all hands on deck.”
