Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered all U.S. and State of Ohio flags to be flown at half staff this week to honor the lives lost in Israel amid Hamas’ attack on the country.
“In response to the unprovoked attack and invasion of Israel, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has ordered the flags of the United States and the State of Ohio to be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the State of Ohio. The order will be in effect from sunrise October 10, 2023 until sunset on October 12, 2023,” DeWine’s office said.
The governor’s order comes one day after he declared Saturday, October 7 and Sunday, October 8 as days of prayer for the people of Israel.
On the day of the attack, DeWine released a statement, saying, “Fran and I extend our deepest sympathies to the victims and their families of the unprovoked attack on Israel today. We offer our support to the people of Israel and condemn this unjustified act by Hamas.”
Ohio joins a growing number of states ordering flags to be flown at half staff in honor of the lives lost in Israel, including Virginia, Iowa, Mississippi, Indiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Alabama.
At least 11 Americans have been confirmed among the dead in Israel, with more speculated to be held hostage.
“While we are still working to confirm, we believe it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held by Hamas. I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts,” President Joe Biden said in a statement on Monday.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Gov DeWine” by Gov DeWine.
