Mass. man mourns deaths of great-aunt, 12-year-old cousin abducted by Hamas

A Massachusetts man is mourning the deaths of two of his relatives who were taken hostage by Hamas during the Palestinian militant group’s terrorist attack on Israel earlier this month, news outlets reported.

Jason Greenberg, of Needham, said his great-aunt, 80-year-old Carmela Dan, and his cousin, 12-year-old Noya, were taken hostage by Hamas during its massive terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and subsequently killed by the militant group, according to NECN. Greenberg learned Israeli troops found his loved ones’ bodies in Gaza, he told WCVB.

Dan and Noya were among more than 200 people in Israel who were taken hostage by Hamas militants during the Oct. 7 attack. The assault took the lives of more than 1,300 people in the nation.

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Three of Greenberg’s other family members were also taken hostage by Hamas, including his 11-year-old cousin, Erez Kalderon, and he fears for their safety, he told NECN. At least 210 people continue to be held captive by the militant group, The Associated Press reported, citing the Israeli government.

Greenberg said he believes he knows why Hamas killed Dan and Noya. Dan had Alzheimer’s and medical issues with her heart, while Noya had autism. His two loved ones “were slowing down Hamas, and Hamas just shot them like dogs,” he told WCVB.

“Carmella would’ve turned 80 on Tuesday, and she had a heart condition. She walks slowly. Noya is on the autism spectrum. When she gets upset, she screams and stays in place, so they were slowing down Hamas,” he told NECN. “They killed them, like dead weight, without a care.”

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Greenberg said he been talking with the U.S. Department of State to try to locate his other three family members who continue to be held hostage by Hamas. However, he is doubtful they will be released soon.

“We’re working every avenue right now to secure their freedom as well as every other hostage,” Greenberg told WCVB. “Unfortunately, it isn’t very optimistic.”

On Friday, President Joe Biden announced two Americans who were taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack were released. The United States government is continuing to work in partnership with the governments of Israel and Qatar to free U.S. citizens who are being held captive.

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“Our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ordeal these past 14 days, and I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been wracked with fear,” Biden said about the two Americans who were recently released. “These individuals and their family will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal, and we should all respect their privacy in this moment.”

In the weeks after Hamas’s attack on Oct. 7, the humanitarian crisis in the region has worsened significantly, with Israel responding to the terrorist assault with ongoing airstrikes that have killed at least 3,785 Palestinians and wounded 12,493 more, Reuters reported, citing the health ministry in Gaza. Many fear a looming Israeli ground invasion may result in even more losses of life.

Under pressure from foreign governments, Israel opened the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Saturday, letting in limited humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory, including a convoy of 20 trucks of supplies. However, aid groups working in Gaza are criticizing the assistance as insufficient, as 2.3 million Palestinians in the territory ration food food and drink dirty water and hospitals run low on medical supplies and emergency fuel, according to The Associated Press.

• Read more: Jewish, Muslim Capitol Hill staffers write letter calling for Israel-Hamas war ceasefire

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is calling for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” as well as “unhindered and sustained humanitarian access in Gaza.” Guterres has also called for the “full respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians” and “a concerted effort by the international community to avoid a wider regional spill-over of the conflict,” according to a statement from Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the secretary-general.