The U.S. government confirmed on Wednesday that an American citizen, Kamal Ahmed Jawad from Dearborn, Michigan, was killed in Lebanon. According to his friend and neighbors, Jawad lost his life in an Israeli airstrike amid ongoing violent clashes in the region.
A White House spokesperson expressed deep sorrow over the death, saying, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Kamal Ahmed Jawad, and our hearts go out to his family and friends. His death is a tragedy, like so many civilian casualties in Lebanon.”
Earlier in the day, a U.S. State Department spokesperson clarified when asked about reports of an American’s death in Lebanon, “We are aware of the death of a lawful permanent resident, not a U.S. citizen, in Lebanon, and of course, we offer our deepest condolences to the family.”
According to The Detroit News, Jawad was in Lebanon to care for his elderly mother. His friend, Hamza Reza, along with local groups in Dearborn, shared on social media that Jawad was killed in an Israeli airstrike. They described him as “one of the kindest and most generous people.”
Ongoing Israeli Airstrikes
The violent Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon have been ongoing for several days, resulting in the deaths of hundreds, thousands of injuries, and the displacement of over a million people. Israel has stated that its targets are militants from Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed group that has been actively involved in the conflict.
