State Department confirms NINE Americans were killed by Hamas terrorists in Israel

Nine Americans were killed in Israel during Hamas’s massive terror attack, the State Department said Monday.

Foreign Secretary Antony Blinken said on Sunday the US was working ‘overtime’ to confirm reports claiming Americans had been killed in the horrific attack by Palestinian terrorists.

“At this time, we can confirm the deaths of nine American citizens,” a spokesman for the National Security Council said Monday morning. ‘We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and the families of all those affected, and wish the injured a speedy recovery.’

It was revealed on Sunday morning that 600 Israelis were confirmed dead after just a single day of conflict – and more than 2,000 were injured. This does not include those still held hostage in Gaza, the number of which is unknown.

The death toll is by far the largest mass killing of Jewish people in a single day since World War II.

At least nine Americans have been killed in Israel, the State Department confirmed, after Hamas launched a multi-front attack on the Jewish state on Saturday. Pictured: Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from Palestinian terrorists into the Gaza Strip on Monday, October 9

Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said on Sunday there was “indication” that Americans had been kidnapped and killed by Hamas terrorists in Israel over the weekend and said his agency was working “overtime” to confirm reports.

“Is there any indication that Americans have been either killed or kidnapped by terrorists?” CNN’s Dana Bash asked Blinken on Sunday.

‘Yes, we have reports that several Americans have been killed. We’re working overtime to verify that,’ President Joe Biden’s top State Department official responded.

He added: ‘At the same time there are reports of missing Americans. And there we are again working to verify those reports.’

Israel’s ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog, told CBS News in an interview on Sunday that American citizens were among the hostages taken by Hamas.

Hamas launched a surprise multi-front attack on Israel on Saturday – the 50-year anniversary of the Yom Kippur War in which a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria attacked Israel.

Speaking to CBS Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan on Sunday, Blinken said it was possible that Americans could be among those being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

‘We cannot confirm this at this time,’ he said, ‘but we are very actively working to see if we can confirm the reports.’

He then told NBC Meet the Press host Kristen Welker in a separate interview on Sunday: ‘Any American wherever that is being held … is going to be a priority.’

Hamas terrorists launched a massive attack on Israel on Saturday. Pictured: Rescue workers gather in front of an Israeli police station in Sderot after it was damaged in fighting to drive out Hamas militants stationed inside on Sunday, October 8

Israeli soldier looks out into Lebanon from the Israeli side of the border as the Jewish state launched a counter-offensive on their northern neighbor

In his State of the Union interview on Sunday, Blinken previewed that there could be an announcement about additional aid to Israel later in the day.

“Our first focus is to make sure Israel has what it needs,” Blinken told CNN host Bash. “We are looking at additional requests made by the Israelis.”

He previewed: ‘I think you’ll probably hear more about it later today.’

Israel is raining fire on fighters in the Gaza Strip in a relentless counter-offensive in the south while also pounding Lebanon with artillery in the north.

Speaking to ABC News This Week host George Stephanopoulos, Blinken admitted: ‘This is the worst attack on Israel since 1973, the Yom Kippur War.’

“But there is a fundamental difference – this was a war that was state to state, country to country, army to army,” the foreign minister said. “This is a massive terrorist attack that is killing Israeli civilians in their towns, in their homes and – as we have seen, so graphically – literally dragging people across the border with Gaza, including a Holocaust survivor in a wheelchair, women and children.’

‘So you can imagine the impact it has in Israel and the world has to rise up against what it has seen,’ he added.