Washington says nine US citizens were killed and a certain number have gone missing in the wake of the surprise major operation by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas against Israel.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement Monday, “At this time, we can confirm the deaths of nine US citizens.”
He said there are “unaccounted-for US citizens, and we are working with our Israeli partners to determine their whereabouts.”
Meanwhile the BBC reported on Monday that more than 10 Britons are also feared dead or missing in the occupied territories.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said he would not speculate on the number of British or dual nationals in the region.
France also said two of its nationals have been killed. A lawmaker representing French nationals overseas, Meyer Habib, said on Monday that “at least eight” French people had been killed, captured or were missing.
Dozens of other nationals have also been reportedly killed, including people from Thailand, Nepal, Ukraine, France, Canada and Cambodia.
Hamas launched Operation al-Aqsa Storm on Saturday. It has been without precedent in scale.
Israeli media outlets say more than 800 settlers and troops have been killed as a result of the operation. Some 2,560 Israelis have also been injured.
Israel on Monday stepped up attacks on the Gaza Strip and imposed a total siege on the densely populated enclave.
