Washington is “at this time in a position to confirm the deaths of nine American citizens” in the Hamas attack on Israel, the White House National Security Council and the State Department said on Monday.
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A State Department spokesman said the United States continued to have several nationals missing there and was “working with Israeli authorities to determine their whereabouts.”
American authorities have not yet officially announced whether there were Americans among the Palestinian Islamist group’s hostages and, if so, how many.
Many foreigners of all nationalities have been killed, injured or taken hostage since Hamas’ massive offensive against Israel on Saturday, which left at least 700 people dead on the Israeli side.
Several of them were attending a rave party in the desert near the Gaza border when they were attacked.
According to official reports from both sides, the violence claimed more than 1,100 lives.