"Several Americans" may be among those killed or taken hostage in Israel following attacks by Palestinian militants based in Gaza and following Israeli strikes, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.
"We have reports that several Americans may be among the dead," Blinken told NBC's Meet The Press on Sunday. "We are very actively working to verify those reports. Similarly, we've seen reports about hostages," he added.
"Any American anywhere who is being detained or held hostage, that is going to be a priority for this government, this administration, and for me," Blinken said.
Fox News' Will Cain said on Sunday that Israel's ambassador to the United Nations believed there were "dozens of American citizens among the hostages in Gaza."
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment via email.
On Saturday, Palestinian movement Hamas launched coordinated attacks on Israel, firing rockets from Gaza as its fighters crossed over the border. Israel then carried out strikes on the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas, declaring Israel was now "at war."
Reports then quickly emerged of apparent kidnappings, and an Israeli military spokesperson said a "significant number" of Israeli civilians and soldiers were being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, with some presumed dead.
"Women, children, elderly, disabled" civilians were "dragged into Gaza" in "unprecedented" numbers, IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said on Saturday. A "significant number of Israelis," both civilians and military personnel, were being held by Hamas in Gaza, he added.
Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida said Hamas had "dozens of captive officers and soldiers," continuing: "They have been secured in safe places and in the resistance tunnels" in the Gaza Strip.
The deputy chief of Hamas' political wing, Saleh al-Arouri, told Al Jazeera that Hamas had "managed to kill and capture many Israeli soldiers," and that the number of Israeli hostages Hamas had captured was enough to release all Palestinian fighters in Israeli custody, if there was an exchange.
The U.S. Embassy in Israel said on Saturday that it was "closely monitoring" the situation, and that it was "aware that there have been casualties as a result of these incidents."
"U.S. citizens are reminded to remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness as security incidents, including mortar and rocket fire, often take place without warning," the Embassy said in a statement, adding that U.S. government personnel were not allowed to travel within seven miles of Gaza.
"I say to the residents of Gaza: Leave now because we will operate forcefully everywhere," Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said in a statement posted to social media on Sunday morning.
Referring to hostages, Netanyahu added: "I say to Hamas: You are responsible for their well-being. Israel will settle accounts with anyone who harms one hair on their heads."
Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Stavridis likened events in the region to 9/11, saying on X: "This situation in Gaza is 9/11 with hostages."
U.S. President Joe Biden said Washington would "offer all appropriate means of support" to Israel after the "horrific and ongoing attacks," adding that the U.S. "unequivocally condemned this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza."
Update 10/8/2023, 11:35 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
