At least 11 Americans have been killed since Palestinian militants staged a startling and complicated surprise strike in Israel, President Joe Biden has said.
Biden said in a statement that the fatalities were the “heart wrenching” outcome of a “appalling terrorist assault against Israel.”
He stated that the US believed the Hamas armed group was likely imprisoning American citizens.
He added that the U.S. is working with Israel to handle the hostage crisis.
“This is not some distant tragedy,” the President said in his statement.
“The ties between Israel and the United States run deep. It is personal for so many American families who are feeling the pain of this attack,” the President added.
The identity of the deceased Americans were not immediately published, and it was unknown whether any were from New York, which has a Jewish population of over 1.6 million people.
On Monday, there was a considerable police presence at synagogues in New York City.
Flights into and out of Israel have been canceled by major US airlines.
According to Rep. Grace Meng’s office, at least 50 New York citizens were attempting to return from Israel on Monday.
The State Department stated that it was in contact with the families of those who died.
More than 1,300 Palestinians have already been killed in the battle, which erupted Monday when Israel launched a massive retaliatory assault on the blockaded Gaza Strip.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, at least 700 people have killed in Israel.
The Palestinian Health Ministry announced Monday that 687 people had died.
