9 U.S. citizens among dead in Israel as more than 100 hostages taken by Hamas

1 of 4 | Rescuers remove people from under the rubble of a house destroyed by an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday. The Israeli army said it hit more than 500 targets in the Gaza Strip in overnight strikes. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 9 (UPI) — At least nine U.S. citizens are among those killed in the bloody conflict in Israel over the weekend.

A U.S. National Security Council spokesperson confirmed the deaths of U.S. citizens in a statement to CNN. Their identities have not been made public.

Meanwhile citizens from multiple countries are among those believed to be held captive by Hamas.

“At this time, we can confirm the death of nine U.S. citizens. We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected, and wish those injured a speedy recovery. We continue to monitor the situation closely and remain in touch with our Israeli partners, particularly the local authorities,” the spokesperson said.

More than 800 people were killed in the Hamas rocket attacks, Ron Dermer, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, said in an interview on Monday.

Palestine’s Health Ministry said Monday that 560 Palestinians have been killed and another 2,900 have been injured. Earlier in the day, the agency reported 91 children and 61 women had been killed, but there were fewer confirmed deaths at the time.

Israeli officials say more than 100 people have been taken captive by Hamas, while Hamas claims to have taken more than 130 hostages, according to The Times of Israel.

“The most important thing that the world can do for Israel now is have an unequivocal demand to free the hostages,” Dermer said. “I think they should have very, very strong action, as well, against Iran. You should snap back the United Nations Security Council sanctions against Iran.

The U.S. Embassy in Israel says U.S. citizens in Israel with missing family members in Gaza should contact the Israel National Police for assistance. Many Israelis have taken to social media to share photos and seek information on missing people.

Israel Hayom, an Israeli daily newspaper, published a list of more than a dozen people who may be in captivity, several with photos. Among them is Noa Argamani, a 25-year-old woman who was seen on video being kidnapped from a festival in southern Israel on Saturday.

Hagar Levy shared a photo on Facebook of his younger sister Sigal Levi on Saturday, writing that she was volunteering at a party and has not been heard from since.

Ela Bahat, a resident of Beit Alfa, Israel, posted photos of Dror Behat on Saturday after losing contact with him. On Monday, she confirmed that Behat had been killed.

“Our Dror was murdered and lost forever. Our hearts are broken,” she wrote.

The Foreign Ministry of Thailand reports that 11 Thai nationals were taken hostage and 12 have been killed. Another 9 have been injured. The Himalayan Republic’s embassy in Tel Aviv confirmed that 10 citizens of Nepal were killed.

Twenty-two of 29 Filipinos that were initially reported missing have been rescued by Israeli security forces, according to the Philippine Embassy in Israel.

Family and friends mourn at the funeral of Col. Roi Levy, commander of the elite “Ghost” multi-dimensional unit of the Israeli military, in the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on October 9, 2023. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo