A young American from Connecticut who moved to Israel to join the army was killed in combat operations in southern Lebanon, just weeks after completing his training.

The Israeli Defense Forces identified him as Corporal Moshe Yitzhak Hakoen Katz, a 22-year-old from New Haven, Connecticut. His father Mendy Katz wrote on Facebook: "My heart is broken and the wound is real."

Katz was the eldest of five children in the family. He served in the 890th Paratrooper Battalion and was killed in southern Lebanon, an area controlled by Hezbollah, where Israel expanded military operations.

His decision to join the Israeli army was shaped in the months following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed. After about a year of deliberation, he made the final decision to relocate. Without knowledge of Hebrew, he first completed a preparatory language program before entering service.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Katz "bravely fell defending his homeland."