Washington Ph.D. graduate killed by Hamas militants inside Israel apartment
Over a dozen Americansare among the more than 1,600 who have died in Israel after surprise attacks by Hamas, and one of them has a Seattle connection.
Dr. Hayim Katsman, 32, was found dead in his apartment. His mother, Hannah Katsman, said he received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies in 2021. She told ABC News Hayim was born in the United States and had been living on a kibbutz in Israel doing research.
"He was a young guy and had his whole world waiting for him and I just can't believe it even now," ProfessorJames Wellman with the University of Washington's Jackson School of International Studies said. "The fact that this wonderful human being was killed who had no malice towards either side, he was a beautiful human being."
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Hannah Katsman said she initially thought her son had been taken captive, but she later learned he was killed when Hamas militants burst into his home and found him hiding with his neighbors in his closet, ABC News reports. She said she learned one of the neighbors was released, while her son and a female neighbor were immediately shot and killed.
I've been getting so many messages from people who worked with Hayim or who knew him, or who met him during their travels and how warm he was, how open," Hannah Katsman told ABC News. "He was a very accepting person and a very loyal friend. He had a good sense of humor. He took things in stride.
According to his bio on the UW website, Hayim Katsman's research focused on the "interrelations of religion and politics in the Middle East, focusing on Israel/Palestine."
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In 2020, Katsman won the Baruch Kimmerling prize for best graduate paper, Association for Israel Studies, according to the UW website.
"His work, it is incredibly relevant work. He was looking at something that has become only more influential," Liora Halperin, UW professor said. "He was just a really good guy. Someone everyone wanted to know, wants to know as a friend, wants to have as a student."
Hamas' surprise attack byland, sea, and air came just after sunrise Saturday on what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a "dark day" for his country and an Israeli military official deemed "our 9/11." The attacks came as Israelis were wrapping up the seven-day Jewish festival of Sukkot. Sirens echoed across Israel and thousands of missiles were launched into the country by the Hamas militant group from Gaza.
Israel’s military ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip on Monday, halting the entry of food, fuel, and supplies to its 2.3 million people as it pounded the Hamas-ruled territory with waves of airstrikes in retaliation for the militants’ bloody weekend incursion. The military said itgained control in its southern towns where it had been battling Hamas gunmen.
Israel’s vaunted military and intelligence apparatus was caught completely off guard by Hamas, resulting in heavy battles in its streets for the first time in decades.
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In to theAmerican citizens whose deaths President Joe Biden confirmed Monday, an undetermined number of remain unaccounted for. It was not yet clear if the missing were dead, in hiding, or had been taken hostage.
Biden said the U.S. believes it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held hostage by Hamas, but officials are working to confirm that.
“I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts,” Biden said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
