At least 17 other Americans are unaccounted for, US officials say before Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s Israel visit. The number of United States citizens confirmed to have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war has risen to at least 22, with at least 17 more Americans unaccounted for, says the US Department of State. That is an increase in the death toll from 14 on Tuesday, in a war that has killed more than 2,300 on both sides in five days.
A “handful” of US citizens are among the estimated 150 hostages captured by the Palestinian armed group, Hamas, during its unprecedented weekend assault on Israel, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday. “Right now we think the number that we know or we believe are held hostage is very small, very small, like less than a handful. But that could change over time,” Kirby told reporters.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is expected to arrive in Tel Aviv on Thursday as part of the Biden administration’s unequivocal support to Israel, on Wednesday said the death toll of US citizens in the continuing war could further rise. The US military is moving a second aircraft carrier, USS Dwight D Eisenhower, towards Israel as an “available asset” after the USS Gerald R Ford, the US Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, and its strike group reached the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Hamas had previously threatened to kill the hostages if Israel bombed Palestinian homes in Gaza without warning. The presence of the hostages also presents a dilemma for the Israeli military, which has given little indication that the presence of the hostages in the Gaza Strip will deter Israel from mounting a crushing response. Israel has completely sealed off the enclave, tightening an already harsh blockade that it has had in place since 2007 and cutting off access to food, water, and electricity for the strip’s 2.3 million Palestinian residents – a war crime, according to United Nations statutes.
A nonstop barrage of Israeli air raids since Saturday has reduced entire neighborhoods in Gaza to rubble and killed at least 1,055 people and wounded thousands of others, according to Palestinian officials. Kirby said the Biden administration was still in talks with Israel and Egypt to try to arrange safe passage for Gaza’s civilians. “These people are victims, too,” he said. “They didn’t ask Hamas to do this.”
This alarming rise in the death toll and the increasing number of American hostages caught in the Israel-Hamas conflict has raised concerns about the ongoing war in the region. With more than 2,300 casualties on both sides in just five days, the violence shows no signs of abating. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Israel underscores the Biden administration’s strong support for Israel, but the situation remains precarious for US citizens trapped in the conflict zone.
Hamas’ capture of American hostages has added another layer of complexity to the already tense situation. While the number of hostages is currently small, there is a fear that it could increase over time. The presence of hostages also poses a moral dilemma for the Israeli military, which has not shown any indication that it will alter its response despite the risk to their lives. The blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza, exacerbating the suffering of its 2.3 million Palestinian inhabitants, has been condemned as a war crime by the United Nations.
The continuous Israeli airstrikes have resulted in widespread destruction and a significant loss of life in Gaza. Palestinian officials report over 1,055 deaths and thousands of injuries, highlighting the devastating impact of the conflict on civilian populations. Efforts are underway by the Biden administration to negotiate safe passage for Gaza’s civilians, recognizing their status as victims in this conflict.
As Secretary Blinken prepares to visit Israel, the urgency to find a resolution to the conflict and protect the lives of American citizens caught in the crossfire has reached a critical point. The world watches as the death toll rises and the hope for a peaceful resolution diminishes.
