Vancouver man among dead in Israel following Hamas attacks, MP says

A Vancouver-area MP says a man from his riding was among those killed when Hamas militants attacked sites in Israel early Saturday.

Ben Mizrachi "was found amongst those murdered by Hamas terrorists," Taleb Noormohamed, MP for Vancouver Granville, said on X, formerly known as Twitter, early Tuesday.

Mizrachi had been reported missing by people close to him following the incursions by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip.

Violence continues in the Middle East days after the surprise attacks on Israel, which has responded with strikes on Gaza.

More than 1,000 people have been reported dead in the conflict so far.

'A friend to everyone'

Mizrachi graduated from King David High School in Vancouver in 2018. On Tuesday, the school said on its Facebook page that the 22-year-old was shot and killed while attending a music festival.

"Ben was larger than life, with a big personality that matched his size," said the school's post.

"He was full of joy, had a smile for everyone and was always there to help. Ben was a friend to everyone."

The post added that Mizrachi was proud of his service in the Israeli Defense Forces, the national military force.

It described how, on a Grade 8 trip to Israel in 2013, Mizrachi recited liturgical prayers at sunrise on top of an ancient fortification on a rock plateau while wearing a Vancouver Canucks jersey.

Mizrachi is the the second Canadian confirmed dead in the conflict, with three others known to be missing. The other confirmed fatality is a 33-year-old Montreal man who was killed in a Hamas attack on a music festival in Israel.

Global Affairs said Mizrachi has family in Noormohamed's riding, who gave the MP permission to speak publicly about the death.

Officials with King David High School said a funeral would be held for Mizrachi at Kvutzat Yavne, a kibbutz in lsrael, on Wednesday.