Gaza-Israel war death toll rises to over 1100, with thousands injured

Officials say that at least 1,100 people have died in the Israel-Hamas war that began on Saturday morning, with thousands more injured.
At least 700 people in Israel were killed, and officials say that at least 260 people were killed at a music festival in southern Israel.
Festival-goers were reportedly shot by terrorists who arrived in vans.
More than 400 people were killed in Gaza, with the Israeli military hitting more than 800 targets in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Health Ministry estimated that 413 people were killed, including 78 children and 41 women.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reported that around 1,000 Hamas soldiers have been involved in the fighting since Saturday morning, and Israeli officials say that 400 militants have been killed.
Around 2,000 people have been injured during the war, which was formally declared by the Israeli government on Sunday.
The number of Israeli civilians and soldiers that were taken hostage is still unknown. Officials believe that the captives include elderly people, women and children.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tel Aviv resident speaks about Israelis uniting amid Hamas attacks: ‘We just need to survive’
Solovjanova has seen huge crowds while volunteering to prepare care packages for IDF soldiers.
Shocked and distraught Israeli citizens are uniting to support the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) amid the war against Hamas that began on Saturday.
Veronika Solovjanova, a business owner in Tel Aviv, told Fox News Digital that she knows Israelis who were abroad on vacation and came back to their country to help the war effort.
The war began early Saturday morning when Hamas attacked Israel on Simchat Torah, a Jewish holiday. At least 700 people in Israel have been killed.
“We don’t want to leave or escape,” Solovjanova explained, adding that many volunteers are driving to the frontlines of the war to help soldiers.
“It’s like we call it now, ‘our 9/11′,” she added. “I saw the owner of my [store’s] building today…she’s 81 years old. I asked her, ‘Do remember something like this?’ and she said no.”
Solovjanova spent Sunday helping prepare care packages for IDF soldiers. She compared Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel to acts of violence in Ukraine.
“It’s like the invasion of Ukraine,” she added. “What happened yesterday in this kibbutz music festival, you absolutely can compare it with the butchery in Ukraine. It’s [an] absolute massacre.”

‘Several’ American citizens confirmed dead amid Hamas attack on Israel: officials

The United States National Security Council (NSC) has confirmed to Fox News that “several” American citizens have been killed during the Israel-Hamas war.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected, and wish those injured a speedy recovery,” an NSC spokesperson said.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely and remain in touch with our Israeli partners, particularly the local authorities,” the statement added.
Officials have not confirmed the identities of the decedents or released any additional details. At least 700 people have died in Israel, and more than 400 deaths were reported in Gaza.
It was previously reported that at least four Americans were killed. Some of the victims may have been dual citizens.
“We have a lot of dual citizens in Israel,” Israel’s minister for strategic affairs Ron Dermer explained during a CNN appearance on Sunday.
“I suspect there are several, but we’re still trying to sort through all of all this information after this horrific surprise attack,” he added. “We’ll make sure to put that information out so that the loved ones of these people who were killed and who are held hostage, they know as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile, The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has ordered US ships and warplanes to move closer to Israel in a show of support on Sunday.

The US has also sent fresh military aid after attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Pentagon said it was sending the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying warships to the eastern Mediterranean, while boosting fighter aircraft squadrons in the region.

The United States, a major supplier of arms to Israel, has moved quickly to affirm its backing for Israel after Saturday’s surprise attack from the Gaza Strip, vowing “rock solid” support and warning other parties to stay out of the conflict.

Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “conveyed that additional assistance for the Israeli Defense Forces is now on its way to Israel with more to follow over the coming days,” the White House said.

“The leaders also discussed ongoing efforts to ensure that no enemies of Israel believe they can or should seek advantage from the current situation,” it said in a statement.

The US president added, “pledged his full support for the Government and people of Israel in the face of an unprecedented and appalling assault by Hamas terrorists.”

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s worst escalation in decades has claimed more than 600 lives on the Israeli side, the government press office said, while Gaza officials reported at least 370 deaths in Israeli air strikes.

Israel’s Netanyahu has steeled his shocked nation for what he called a long war ahead, with tens of thousands of Israeli forces already deployed to battle holdout Hamas forces and prepare a possible Gaza ground offensive.

Israeli-Palestinian war: US, Nigeria, others demand ceasefire, scores killed

The conflict has also stoked fears of a wider conflagration. Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement on Sunday, said it had fired shells and missiles at Israeli positions.

With tensions rising, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he was sending forces to “bolster regional deterrence efforts” after discussions with Biden.

As well as the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier, this deployment includes a guided missile cruiser and four guided misile destroyers, Austin said in a statement.

“The United States government will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions,” Austin added.

The movement of US ships and planes and the aid to Israel “underscores the United States’ ironclad support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli people.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier that Biden ordered his administration to give Israel “everything it needs at this moment to deal with the attacks from Hamas.”

A number of Americans may also have been taken hostage, Blinken said.

“We have reports that several Americans were killed. We’re working overtime to verify that. At the same time, there are reports of missing Americans and there again, we’re working to verify those reports,” Blinken said.

He told ABC that “this is a massive terrorist attack that is gunning down Israeli civilians in their towns, in their homes, and as we’ve seen so graphically, literally dragging people across the border with Gaza.

“So, you can imagine the impact this is having throughout Israel. And the world should be revolted at what it has seen.”