By MATTHEW LEE and AAMER MADHANI (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The variety of U.S. residents confirmed to have been killed within the Israel-Hamas warfare has risen to at the very least 22 with at the very least 17 extra Americans unaccounted for, the State Department stated Wednesday. That’s a rise within the loss of life toll from 14 the day earlier than, in a warfare that has already claimed greater than 2,200 lives on either side.
A “handful” of U.S. residents are among the many estimated 150 hostages captured by Hamas militants throughout their surprising weekend assault on Israel, White House nationwide safety spokesman John Kirby stated Wednesday.
In an additional signal of U.S. assist for Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken left for conferences with officers there. And the U.S. navy is shifting a second plane provider towards the Mediterranean Sea as a part of efforts to stop the warfare from spilling over right into a extra harmful regional battle.
Kirby stated the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and its ships could be an “available asset” if needed. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s most superior plane provider, and its strike group have already arrived within the Eastern Mediterranean.
The assault has raised questions concerning the function of Iran, the primary sponsor of Hamas, and whether or not it was immediately concerned within the operation. But the U.S. has collected info that implies senior Iranian authorities officers have been caught off guard by the multipronged assault, in keeping with a U.S. official who wasn’t licensed to debate the matter publicly and spoke on situation of anonymity. That piece of intelligence has knowledgeable White House officers publicly asserting that it has not but seen proof of direct involvement by Iranians within the planning or execution of the Hamas assault.
“We haven’t seen anything that tells they have specifically cut checks to support this set of attacks, or that they were involved in the training. And obviously, this required quite a bit of training by these terrorists,” Kirby stated, although he added that the U.S. will proceed to have a look at the intelligence “and see if that leads us to different conclusion.”
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined with a high political rival to create a war-time Cabinet, establishing a level of unity as the federal government there faces public strain to topple Hamas. Israel continued damaging airstrikes in Gaza, the place a possible floor offensive would doubtless lead to numerous casualties on either side of the battle.
With many airways suspending business flights out and in of Israel due to the continued rocket and missile exchanges, Kirby stated the United States was exploring “a range of other options” to help Americans who wish to go away, showing to go away open the potential for a U.S.-assisted evacuation.
Kirby stated the administration was nonetheless in talks with Israel and Egypt to attempt to prepare secure passage for Gaza’s civilians. “These people are victims, too,” he stated. “They didn’t ask Hamas to do this.”
President Joe Biden, who is about to satisfy with Jewish leaders later Wednesday, sought to attach the Hamas assaults on to many years of antisemitism and violence endured by Jews around the globe.
“This attack has brought to the surface the painful memories and scars left by a millennium of antisemitism and genocide against the Jewish people,” Biden instructed reporters. He added, “We have to be crystal clear: There is no justification for terrorism, no excuse and the type of terrorism that was exhibited here is just beyond the pale, beyond the pale.”
Biden stated he and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by telephone on Wednesday with Netanyahu. It was at the very least the fourth name between Biden and Netanyahu since Saturday’s assault.
“The United States has Israel’s back and we’re going to be working on this through the day and beyond,” Biden stated.
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Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”