Two Evanston residents have been reported missing in Israel and are believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas militants, recent reports say.

Chabad of Evanston posted to its Facebook page Sunday that two of its congregants, Judith Raanan and her daughter, Natalie, had reportedly been abducted while visiting family in Nachal Oz, Israel, and asked community members to keep the two in their prayers.

In an announcement sent to Deerfield High School community members Monday night, Principal Kathryn Anderson wrote that Natalie Raanan, a member of the DHS class of 2023, had been reported missing. The announcement said Raanan’s family “fears she was taken hostage by Hamas.”

“We keep Natalie and her family in our hearts, along with all the innocent lives lost, wounded and impacted by the terrorist attack,” the letter from DHS reads. “Sadly, we know that many students and families have been impacted by the tragic events in Israel. We come together as a school community to support each other during this difficult time.”

The announcement follows the outbreak of a war between Israel and Hamas, a militant terrorist group. Hamas launched a coordinated surprise attack from Gaza Saturday. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas Sunday and has launched retaliatory attacks on Gaza. At least 1,500 Israelis and Palestinians have been killed in the attacks.

Evanston Police Department also announced in a Tuesday tweet that it would be “conducting extra patrols at houses of worship citywide.” EPD had tweeted earlier in the day that patrols would focus on Jewish houses of worship specifically as a response to the escalating violence in Israel and Palestine, but noted that officers “are not aware of any specific threats to Evanston Synagogues.”

This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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