The Sunday, October 9 communication by an Israeli official confirmed that Americans are held hostage in Gaza. The update portrayed the incident as among the most significant attacks the militant Hamas ever staged on Israel in decades.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated that the officials are verifying the reports on Americans, with the total lives lost surpassing 1,000. The US ranking disapproved of the conflict just as Israel prepared for a large-scale response.
Americans Held Captives as Hamas Attack Israel
The Israeli’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer informed CNN Sunday of the likelihood of Americans being held hostage within Gaza. Nonetheless, he failed to estimate the American hostages.
Zia Nkhaleh, who heads the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group involved alongside Hamas in executing the Saturday attack, confirmed they were holding dozens of Israeli captives. He added that his group had over 30 captives. The Associated Press reported that the Jihadist leader ruled out the Israelis’ release until all Palestinian prisoners were set free.
In his address aired on CNN’s State of the Union, Blinken indicated that the US was actively verifying the reports of American hostages and deaths following the surprise attack. On Sunday, October 8, the Pentagon announced that it was supplying additional munitions.
US Assures to Support Israel
The AP reported that the US confirmed sending the Ford carrier strike unit to Israel. The group comprises warplanes, ships, and over 5,000 sailors aboard the USS Ford, fully accompanied by destroyers and cruisers.
The Israel Foreign Ministry estimated the death toll above 700, portraying a sharp increase from the initial 300. The quick increment is from the cleared border areas where Hamas militants infiltrated. The Ministry of Health approximated that over 16,000 Israelis were injured. The Sunday statement indicated that over 413 Palestinians were killed while 2300 injuries were suffered within the Gaza Strip.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that the Security Cabinet approved the formal declaration of war. He noted that the country would initiate significant military steps. His announcement came after the Israel Defense Forces executed the initial airstrikes targeting Hamas within the Gaza Strip.
The AP reported that the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, had staged three attacks targeting Israelis on early Sunday within the disputed Golan Heights. The militant group indicated the attack was to support the Palestinian resistance, though it ruled out immediate casualties.
The Saturday events saw Hamas launch multiple sea, land, and air attacks. The attacks allowed the militants to cross the Gaza Strip border to read Southern Israel. Hamas used rockets targeting various Israeli cities in one of the worst attacks in decades.
The gunmen reportedly caused deaths in cities located near the Gaza border. Blinken indicated that the gunmen captured civilians and soldiers. The US leader criticized the gunmen who seized a Holocaust survivor confined to a wheelchair.
Israel Prime Minister Assures of Military Intervention
Netanyahu’s statement on Saturday October 7, lamented the scale of the attack as never witnessed in Israel. The Israeli leader vowed to avenge the black day. The Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif termed the attack the greatest battle staged to end the last occupation on earth.
The attack prompted Israeli airstrikes throughout the Saturday night. Israel rang sirens to warn of possible attacks in Israel. Hamas claimed control over the Gaza Strip for six years following the decision by Israeli forces to withdraw in 2015.
Hamas’s occupation of the Gaza Strip prompted Israel and Egypt to impose a tight blockade around the impoverished region. Violent incidents have become common in the densely populated region, pitting Israeli and Palestinian forces.
The Israeli military staged a raid in June targeting the Jenin city within the West Bank. The June raid led to five deaths and over 90 injuries. Israelis staged several attacks in September targeting the West Bank and Gaza, where six additional Palestinians died.
The Saturday attacks by the Hamas would likely result in more deaths and injuries as Israeli forces attempt to free the captives.
