US suspects several Americans either killed or taken hostages in Gaza


The US government suspects that “several Americans” may be among those killed or taken hostage in Israel following attacks by Palestinian militants based in Gaza and following Israeli strikes, US 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, adding he was verifying the reports and also stories that some have been taken hostage.

On Saturday, the Palestinian movement Hamas ambushed Israel, firing rockets from Gaza as its fighters crossed over the border. Israel then carried out retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas, declaring Israel was now “at war”.