1 Senate Action and Latest Update

The United States Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution honoring American citizens who were killed or taken hostage during the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. The measure, S.Res.938, was introduced by Senators Jacky Rosen, Democrat of Nevada, and Rick Scott, Republican of Florida.

Congress.gov identifies the resolution as a measure intended “to honor the Americans killed by Hamas terrorists and their affiliates on and after October 7, 2023,” reaffirm the United States’ commitment to seeking legal justice for their families, and address related hostage issues. It appeared on the Senate floor agenda on September 30, 2026.

The resolution passed by unanimous consent, meaning no senator objected and the chamber adopted it without a recorded roll-call vote or amendment. The Senate action was reported publicly by Senator Rosen’s office on October 2, 2026.

The vote represented a rare point of bipartisan agreement on an issue connected to the continuing conflict in Israel and Gaza. Rather than establishing a new program or appropriating funds, the resolution places the Senate’s institutional support on record for the victims, their families, and the pursuit of accountability.

2 The October 7 Attacks and American Victims

On October 7, 2023, Hamas and affiliated militants launched a large-scale assault from Gaza into southern Israel. The attack included mass killings of civilians, assaults on communities and a music festival, and the taking of hostages.

According to the statement released by Senator Rosen’s office, more than 1,200 people were killed during the attacks, including at least 46 American citizens. Hamas also took 251 people hostage, among them 12 Americans. Some hostages were held for more than a year and endured severe physical and psychological abuse.

The resolution recognizes two related but distinct groups:

• Americans who were murdered during the October 7 attacks.
• American citizens who were taken hostage, including those later released alive and those who died in captivity or remained unaccounted for at relevant stages of the hostage crisis.

The Senate resolution lists the names of 40 of the 46 publicly identified American victims. It also identifies the 12 Americans taken hostage, including seven who were later freed alive through diplomatic efforts.

The difference between the total number of American deaths and the number of names publicly listed reflects the difficulty of documenting victims during a mass-casualty attack and the need to account for family privacy, identification procedures, and changing official information.

3 What S.Res.938 Says

The resolution is primarily commemorative and declaratory, but its language also expresses broader U.S. policy commitments.

Honoring and mourning the victims

The Senate formally honors the Americans killed during the attacks and mourns their deaths. By placing their names in the official congressional record, the resolution gives the victims a permanent institutional recognition in the legislative branch.

The measure also conveys condolences to the victims’ families. This is significant because many families have continued to advocate publicly for accountability, hostage recovery, and recognition of the victims’ identities.

Condemning Hamas and affiliated groups

The resolution condemns Hamas and its affiliates for the attacks, killings, hostage-taking, and related abuses. Its wording rejects attempts to treat the violence as an ordinary military or political dispute and characterizes the attacks as terrorism directed against civilians.

The Senate’s language also places responsibility on Hamas and affiliated organizations for the suffering of both the victims and the hostage families.

Recognizing hostage-release efforts

S.Res.938 commends the role of the U.S. government in helping secure the release of some American and other hostages. The resolution acknowledges that hostage negotiations involved diplomatic engagement by the United States, Israel, regional governments, and other international actors.

At the same time, it urges continued efforts to free U.S. citizens held hostage anywhere in the world. This expands the resolution’s significance beyond the October 7 attacks: it presents hostage recovery as an ongoing responsibility of the American government.

Supporting legal justice

The measure reaffirms the United States’ commitment to seeking legal justice on behalf of the victims’ families. This language is particularly important because it goes beyond remembrance. It supports efforts to investigate, prosecute, and pursue legal accountability for those responsible for the attacks.

The resolution does not itself create a criminal case or impose penalties. Instead, it establishes the Senate’s support for continued legal and diplomatic action, including potential efforts by families to seek justice through U.S. courts.

Sending copies to families

The Senate directed that a copy of the resolution be sent to the families of American October 7 victims. That provision gives the resolution a direct commemorative function, ensuring that the families receive an official statement from the Senate rather than seeing the measure only as a legislative record.

4 Bipartisan Sponsorship and Senate Statements

The resolution was sponsored by Senators Jacky Rosen and Rick Scott, who represent different parties and have often differed on domestic and foreign-policy issues. Their joint sponsorship underscores the Senate’s shared concern for American victims of terrorism and American citizens held hostage overseas.

“It is our responsibility to make sure the world never forgets the unspeakable violence carried out by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 – the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.” — Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

She said the resolution was intended to honor both the Americans killed and those taken hostage. In the statement released by her office, Rosen also emphasized the courage of hostage families who advocated for the return of their loved ones and sought continued support for American victims and their relatives.

“There is no moral gray area here; Hamas is evil. Our country must protect our people and has a duty to secure justice for them.” — Senator Rick Scott (R-FL)

Scott said the attacks destroyed families and communities and that Americans were among the civilians murdered. He also described the resolution as a joint effort to honor those killed and those who survived captivity but would carry the consequences of the attacks for the rest of their lives.

5 Why the Resolution Matters

A permanent congressional record

One of the resolution’s most important effects is symbolic but lasting. The names of publicly identified American victims are entered into an official Senate document, giving them a place in the institutional memory of the United States government.

Commemorative resolutions do not carry the same legal force as statutes. They do not establish criminal liability, authorize military action, or appropriate federal money. However, they can shape the congressional record and express the formal position of the chamber.

Recognition of American involvement

The resolution emphasizes that October 7 was not solely a foreign tragedy affecting Israeli citizens. At least 46 Americans were among those killed, and 12 Americans were taken hostage. The Senate’s action therefore frames the attacks as an event with a direct American dimension.

That framing can influence future diplomatic, intelligence, counterterrorism, and hostage-policy discussions. It also reinforces the principle that the United States should respond when its citizens are killed or unlawfully detained abroad.

Support for families seeking justice

Families of victims and hostages frequently face a long period of uncertainty. They may have to pursue information, communicate with government agencies, advocate for diplomatic action, and seek legal accountability while grieving or waiting for news.

By supporting legal justice and continued government engagement, S.Res.938 provides political recognition of those efforts. It does not guarantee a particular prosecution or financial remedy, but it signals that the Senate views the families’ pursuit of accountability as legitimate and important.

Bipartisan solidarity

The unanimous passage also demonstrates that condemnation of the murder and hostage-taking of American civilians can attract support across party lines. Rosen and Scott’s sponsorship gives the resolution a bipartisan foundation, while unanimous consent shows that no senator sought to block or amend it.

This does not erase broader political disagreements over Israel, Gaza, humanitarian policy, military assistance, or the conduct of the war. Instead, it reflects a narrower area of agreement: the need to remember American victims, condemn terrorism, and support hostage-recovery efforts.

6 Limits of the Senate Resolution

Although significant as a statement of national remembrance, S.Res.938 has limits.

7 Continuing U.S. Responsibilities

The Senate’s action points to several continuing responsibilities for the U.S. government:

The resolution’s hostage language is also broader than the October 7 case. It urges continued action on behalf of American citizens held hostage around the world, linking the commemoration to the general U.S. policy of treating hostage recovery as a national priority.

8 Conclusion

The unanimous passage of S.Res.938 marks the Senate’s formal recognition of the Americans killed and taken hostage during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks. Sponsored by Senators Jacky Rosen and Rick Scott, the bipartisan measure honors at least 46 American victims, recognizes the 12 Americans taken hostage, condemns Hamas and affiliated groups, supports families seeking legal justice, and commends U.S. efforts that helped secure the release of hostages.

Its principal force is commemorative and political rather than regulatory. By recording the victims’ names, conveying condolences to their families, and reaffirming the duty to pursue justice and recover hostages, the Senate has converted remembrance into an official commitment. The resolution will not by itself resolve the legal or diplomatic consequences of October 7, but it establishes a clear congressional position that the American victims must be remembered and that responsibility for the attacks must not be abandoned.