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.”
