One Turkish citizen was killed and another went missing in a surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 that has claimed the lives of at least 1,200 people in Israel, according to data from the Israeli Embassy in Ankara.
The embassy, citing data from the press office of the Israeli government, announced on the X social media platform on Thursday that two Turkish citizens were among the victims of the Hamas attacks, one dead, the other one missing.
Terör ve teröristler din, dil, ırk ayrımı gözetmiyor.
İsrail Hükümeti Basın Ofisi @GPOIsrael tarafından yayınlanan, TC yetkili mercilerince teyit edilmemiş bilgilere göre, #Hamas tarafından 7 Ekim’den bu yana İsrail'e gerçekleştirilen terör saldırılarında bir Türk vatandaşı… pic.twitter.com/rsKCScIfZM
— İsrail Türkiye'de (@IsraelinTurkey) October 12, 2023
The embassy said Turkish officials have not yet confirmed the Israeli statement on the two Turkish citizens caught up in the Hamas attacks.
The Jewish Community in Turkey announced on their X account that the Turkish citizen killed in the Hamas attacks was 52-year-old Avraam Avi Zakuto, who moved from Turkey to Israel with his family in 1972.
“We are in great pain,” they said.
7 Ekim Cumartesi sabahı İsrael’de yaşanan terör saldırısında 1972 yılında ailece İsrael’e yerleşen Türk vatandaşı, kardeşimiz Avraam Avi Zakuto’yu z’l da 52 yaşında kaybettik.
Acımız çok büyük 🕯️
Baruh Dayan haEmet 🕯️ pic.twitter.com/CGBN6l8TdV
— Türk Yahudi Toplumu (@tyahuditoplumu) October 12, 2023
Hamas launched thousands of rockets from the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, and its militants stormed into Israel and attacked civilians in border towns. The militant group killed at least 1,200 people in Israel, including citizens from 36 countries.
The press office of the Israeli government released a chart showing the number of citizens from each of the 36 countries who were killed or went missing during the Hamas attacks.
Hamas militants also abducted at least 150 others, prompting Israel to retaliate by pounding Gaza, where at least 1,100 people have been killed so far.
Many of the missing foreigners were at an electronic music festival in the southern Israeli desert, at which at least 260 attendees were killed in the Hamas attacks.