Blinken Suggests Americans, Other Foreigners Likely Killed or Captured by Hamas Along With the 100s of Israeli Citizens

Secretary of State Blinken, in a disclosure that ups the ante in the war, says America is working to confirm reports that multiple Americans and other foreigners have likely been killed or captured by Hamas in Israel.This comes as leading Israeli newspapers and broadcasters are reporting a death toll of more than 600 and more than 2,000 wounded in Israel, which would make Saturday one of the deadliest days in the country’s history. During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Mr. Blinken announced that the State Department had received reports of Americans being killed and taken hostage by Hamas. He said he is “working overtime” to verify the reports. The host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Kristen Welker, asked Mr. Mr. Blinken if the negotiations that the Biden administration has been moderating between Israel and Saudi Arabia about normalizing diplomatic relations may have inspired Iran to back this surprise attack. The secretary said that “we don’t have anything that shows us Iran was directly involved in these attacks.”On CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Mr. Blinken said that “the assault is not over” and it is the responsibility of the United States to continue to support the country as Israel pushes back Hamas and takes control of the areas that are now under its control in southern Israel. Just before Mr. Blinken appeared on the program, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, told host Margaret Brennan that he “understands there are” American hostages and casualties in Israel, but he does not know the exact number. Haaretz and the Times of Israel are now reporting that the death toll in Israel has reached more than 600, with 2,000 wounded. The government has not released any official numbers since the war began early Saturday morning.Videos posted by Hamas online show the brutality of their attacks on civilians in southern Israel. On Saturday, the terrorist group attacked an outdoor music festival near the Israel-Gaza border that was attended by hundreds of Israelis, as well as many Americans and Europeans.In videos posted online, Hamas terrorists can be seen shooting indiscriminately into the crowd at the festival and abducting several young people. Israeli rescue services reported late Sunday that at least 260 bodies were recovered from the scene.Mr. Blinken noted in his Sunday show appearances that unlike past attacks on Israel, the war that began Saturday is being led by a terrorist organization that, as part of its strategy, is now abducting, torturing, and murdering women, children, and the elderly.“Men and women and children dragged across the border into Gaza, including a Holocaust survivor in a wheelchair,” Mr. Blinken said. “People gunned down in the streets, civilians … It should be something that revolts the entire world.”One video posted online shows Hamas militants dragging the body of a young woman through the streets of Gaza. Another shows an elderly woman, who is reportedly a Holocaust survivor, being held in Gaza and driven through the streets in a golf cart. During his appearance on CNN, Mr. Blinken also took the opportunity to claim Republicans are “misinformed” about the $6 billion the Treasury Department moved for Iran to a Qatari bank account from South Korea.Since the outbreak of the war, many have pointed out that the administration recently transferred $6 billion in revenue the Iranians had made from oil sales to a bank account at Doha, Qatar in order to secure the release of several hostages being held in Iran. The bank account is still being monitored and none of the funds have been used, yet, according to Mr. Blinken.“It’s deeply unfortunate that some are playing politics when so many lives have been lost and Israel remains under attack,” the secretary told CNN’s Dana Bash. “People are misinformed, or they’re misinforming,” Mr. Blinken said of Republican critics.

Blinken Suggests Americans, Other Foreigners Likely Killed or Captured by Hamas Along With the 100s of Israeli Citizens

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