Local family mourns loss of relative killed in Hamas attack in Israel
A local family is mourning the loss of their loved one killed in the Hamas Attacks in Israel.
They received the tragic news Tuesday night that their 20-year-old nephew’s body had been found after he went missing on Saturday.
“He was amazing, great, great boy, was only 20 years old, he finished his school and after 3 months went into the army,” said Rachel Glisko, a Coachella Valley resident and aunt of Itay Glisko.
Itay Gisko was born in New Jersey but moved to Israel to be closer to family, Rachel said.
We are heartbroken to learn that 20-year-old Itay Glisko, who spent his early years in Paramus, tragically lost his life during the attacks in Israel.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) October 11, 2023
My deepest condolences are with Itay’s family during this painful time. https://t.co/6iqp7DoeqU
Rachel says the last time she spoke to Itay was on Saturday Morning, which was just before the attacks.
She says Itay was serving in the Israeli Defense Force near Gaza at his military base at the time and told her he was okay.
After speaking with him, Rachel says they learned the base had been attacked by the militant group Hamas.
“I spoke to my brother, some people came to tell him from the government, to tell him that he's dead, that they found him dead,” Rachel said.
Rachel says for days they had desperately been searching for any information about her nephew's whereabouts. They knew he was celebrating the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah and now know he was shot and killed.
“He was the soul of the earth, he was very kind, good manners, he grew in a good home and a very good family,” Rachel said.
As of Wednesday, the state department reports that the attacks have claimed at least 2,200 lives on both sides and 22 U.S citizens have been confirmed to have been killed in the conflict so far.
Rachel says it's been difficult to watch the war unfold in her home country.
“We didn’t know that it was going to be a major issue because there were only rockets in the air in the beginning and we saw all the terrorists inside Israel,” Rachel said.
She, just like her family, will continue to pray for a peaceful end to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“My brother and my sister-in-law are heartbroken, they’re in the living room crying on each other, they don’t believe what happened, it's a big hole in our hearts,” Rachael said.
The family shares that they've also learned that Ittay helped save other soldiers before he died.
