At least 11 Americans have been killed in the violence in Israel and more are still unaccounted for after Hamas attacked from the Gaza Strip over the weekend, President Joe Biden said Monday.
“Sadly, we now know that at least 11 American citizens were among those killed — many of whom made a second home in Israel,” the president said in a statement.
Biden said that in addition to the 11 Americans who were killed, more Americans were still unaccounted for amid the ongoing violence.
"We also know that American citizens still remain unaccounted for, and we are working with Israeli officials to obtain more information as to their whereabouts," Biden said.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller had said earlier Monday on MSNBC's “Morning Joe” that at least nine Americans were killed and more were still missing.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that he and his security counterparts are still working to determine the whereabouts of all the unaccounted-for Americans.
More than 1,000 people have been killed so far in the fighting: At least 700 people in Israel, according to the military, and more than 680 people in Gaza and the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
Additionally, as many as 130 people, including children, have been taken hostage by Hamas fighters. Family members are pleading for information about their missing loved ones.
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A spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, on Monday threatened that militants would kill one civilian hostage any time Israel targets civilians in their homes in Gaza “without warning,” NBC News reported.
In an audio statement, spokesperson Abu Obeida said intense strikes had been seen in civilian areas in Gaza.
He said the statement was a "warning" after Israel issued a "full siege" of Gaza and pounded the area with airstrikes after the unprecedented attack by Hamas.
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Here's the latest news from the overseas conflict.
Countries across the world have been working to determine whether their citizens in Israel are safe.
Miller said the State Department continued to monitor the situation closely.
“We are in touch with the families and providing all appropriate consular assistance,” Miller said. “We will continue to provide information to U.S. citizens in the area through Alerts, our embassy website, and travel.state.gov.”
