As many as 22 Americans have lost their lives in Hamas’ attack on Israel, and 17 remain unaccounted for, the White House said Wednesday. The figure will likely rise in the coming days as the government continues to identify those killed in the air, land, and sea assault on Jewish communities. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that more Americans could be among those taken held hostage by Palestinian group Hamas. He did not specify the number of Americans that might be missing but said “a significant portion” were believed to have been kidnapped by Hamas. The United States has offered assistance and counsel to Israel on recovery of the hostages, he added.
A US official familiar with the efforts said that the administration has been working through phone calls to the embassy in Israel, the FBI, and the White House from family and friends of American citizens who are believed to be missing. The official said these individuals are being asked to fill out an intake form that launches a formal verification process by the State Department and the FBI. The official said it has been a challenge to verify second-hand accounts of people being taken by Hamas. HE ADDED THAT the US has also been in touch with the next-of-kin of any American it is aware of as being missing.
Families of Americans killed or missing in the attack are being supported by a team of experts in the State Department’s Office of Hostage Affairs, a spokeswoman said. The team is also assisting Israeli officials to identify the dead.
The mother of a 32-year-old killed in the attack has described her son’s last moments to ABC News. She says her son was a Brandeis University student and that he and his roommate hid in a closet when assailants burst into their apartment in Netanya on October 7. Her son covered them both with his body, she said.
President Biden addressed the nation in a speech, urging Americans to “come together.” He called for the country to stand with those who are mourning and linked the attacks to generations of antisemitism.
Biden also defended using force in Israel’s response to Hamas, saying that it is necessary to defend the Jewish state. He praised the courage of the military and said that the United States is ready to help Israel in any way that it can.
A Navy aircraft carrier strike group has been moved to the Mediterranean Sea as a show of support for Israel and a message of deterrence against any hostile actors that might try to escalate or expand the conflict. The strike group, led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, is expected to be in the region for a few weeks. It will join several other US ships that are already in the region. The Pentagon has also sent an additional fleet of refueling planes to the Middle East, where they are being stocked and fueled for missions as needed.
