At least four Americans have been killed in Hamas‘s attack on Israel, and the United States is continuing to verify reports of missing, captured, or killed U.S. citizens in the middle of the Middle Eastern conflict.
A U.S. official told the Associated Press that at least four Americans were killed, and an additional seven are missing or unaccounted for. The number could change as a full official count is conducted, the official said. Most, if not all, of those reported dead or missing are dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, per the official.
ANTONY BLINKEN SAYS US ‘WORKING OVERTIME’ TO VERIFY REPORTS OF AMERICANS DEAD IN ISRAEL
The Hamas attack, launched early Saturday, has left as many as 600 Israelis dead and 2,000 wounded. The Israeli counterattack in Gaza and at Hamas structures has left 313 Palestinians dead and 1,990 wounded. Both numbers are continuing to increase as reports from media outlets and military forces come in. Israel has formally declared war on Hamas — it’s the first time the nation has done so since 1973.
Earlier on Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN and NBC that the U.S. is “working overtime” to verify the reports of American citizens affected by the Hamas attack. He said that some U.S. citizens could have been taken hostage.
Ron Dermer, Israel’s minister for strategic affairs, told CNN’s State of the Union that American citizens were among those taken captive but could not give details.
“We have a lot of dual citizens in Israel. I suspect there are several, but we’re still trying to sort through all of — all this information after this horrific surprise attack, and we’ll make sure to put that information out so that the loved ones of these people who were killed and who are held hostage, they know as quickly as possible,” Dermer said Sunday.
The U.S. State Department is advising citizens to “exercise increased caution” if they are traveling to Israel or the West Bank due to “terrorism and civil unrest.” The department put out a “do not travel” advisory for Gaza.
United, Delta, and American Airlines suspended flights to and from parts of Israel this weekend, per CNBC.
Citizens from other countries are also among those killed, harmed, or captured in the terrorist attacks. A French woman in Israel died “in the context of the terrorist attacks,” according to France’s foreign ministry per AP. Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it assumes there are German citizens among those kidnapped by Hamas who are dual Israeli citizens, but it didn’t say how many people that might be.
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Ukraine Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said to AP that two Ukrainian women were killed. Both had lived in Israel for a long time. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said two Belarusians were injured during the shelling in Ashkelon, a city in Israel, and one of them was in serious condition.
Three British men are also said to be dead or missing, according to their families. One of them died serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, and his death was confirmed to AP by the Israeli Embassy in London.
