Two Canadian residents were confirmed to have died in the October 7 Hamas attack, according to Canadian officials and news agencies.
Netta Epstein, an Israeli Canadian, died while shielding his fiancée from gunfire and a grenade when Hamas militants invaded their home, according to the Israeli consulate in Toronto and CTV News.
“Without hesitation, 21-year-old Netta jumped on the grenade to shield his loved one with his own body. His girlfriend survived and was rescued,” reads a statement the agency shared on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Their future dreams, including marriage, were abruptly and tragically cut short.”
Epstein’s mother, Ayelet Shachar-Epstein, spoke to CNN news partner CTV and said one of his last text messages to her stated “They’re here, Mom.”
She said she later learned from his fiancée that he sacrificed his life to save her.
“He had a huge heart, my son,” Shachar-Epstein said. “He was beautiful on the outside but also the inside.”
CNN has also confirmed that Ben Mizrachi, 22, was killed while attending an outdoor music festival that came under attack, according to Sara Bandel with the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver.
Taleeb Noormohamed, member of parliment for Vancouver Granville, shared condolences on X, formerly known as Twitter, on last week.
“A wonderful young man from my riding of #VanGran — Ben Mizrachi — was found amongst those murdered by Hamas terrorists. My heartfelt condolences and prayers are with his family, his friends, loved ones & the community.”
Mizrachi graduated in 2018 from King David High School in Vancouver. The school released a statement last week, confirming his death and that he was gunned down while at the music festival.
“Ben was larger than life, with a big personality that matched his size. He was full of joy, had a smile for everyone, and was always there to help. Ben was a friend to everyone and was so proud of his service in the IDF.”
Global Affairs Canada on Sunday said that five Canadians have died and three others are still missing. GAC has not released names of the missing or the deceased from the Hamas attack.
