A man from Dearborn, Michigan, was killed in Lebanon during an Israeli airstrike, according to his daughter, a friend, and the US congresswoman representing his district.
Democratic US Representative Rashida Tlaib's office confirmed on Wednesday that they were in contact with the family of Kamel Ahmad Jawad, who was a Palestinian American and a US citizen. His daughter, Nadine Jawad, stated that her father was killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon on Tuesday while attempting to save innocent lives. She added that in his final days, her father chose to stay near a hospital to assist the elderly and disabled.
A White House spokesperson expressed deep sorrow over the death of Kamel Ahmad Jawad, calling it a tragedy, as are the deaths of many civilians in Lebanon. Israel's recent military operations in Lebanon have resulted in hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries, and the displacement of over a million people. Israel claims it is targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
According to the Detroit News, Jawad was in Lebanon to care for his elderly mother. His friend Hamzah Raza and local Dearborn groups also shared on social media that Jawad was killed in an Israeli air strike, describing him as 'one of the kindest and most generous humans.' Reuters was unable to independently verify the details surrounding Jawad's death.
Washington has been criticized for its support of Israel, which is also engaged in a war in Gaza that has led to tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of nearly all of the enclave's 2.3 million residents. Dearborn, where Jawad was from, has a significant Arab American population.
