27 U.S. Citizens Killed in Israel’s 9/11 Attacks as Death Toll Rises Following Hamas Terror Attack

The number of Americans killed by Hamas terrorists in Israel has now reached at least 27, John Kirby, the National Security Council’s strategic communications coordinator, revealed Thursday.

The death toll among Israelis, Palestinians and Americans continues to rise five days after Hamas attacked the Jewish state.

But Kirby assured that there are currently only a “handful” of Americans being held hostage in Gaza.

Hamas terrorists based in Gaza entered Israel for the first time on Saturday in a surprise attack on multiple fronts, killing at least 1,200 Israelis in less than a week – amounting to multiple events on the scale of 9/11. Thousands of others are injured and hostages continue to be held in Palestinian territory.

Arriving in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Thursday morning, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that at least 25 Americans had been killed in the Hamas attacks.

Later in the day, Kirby confirmed at the White House press conference that two more deaths had been reported.

Blinken told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “We stand with you and we are not going anywhere.”

“Thank you very much,” Netanyahu replied.

On Friday, the Jewish Blinken will also sit at the table with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The updated death toll of 25 comes after it was revealed the day before that the number of Americans killed in Hamas’s atrocities had reached at least 22 on Wednesday. Thousands of American citizens are still missing in Israel.

Blinken landed in Tel Aviv at about 3 a.m. Eastern Time, 10 a.m. local time in Israel. He was greeted on the tarmac by Israeli government officials who offered him a warm hug.

Blinken will be accompanied on his peacekeeping mission to Israel by his Deputy Chief of Staff Tom Sullivan, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, Special Representative for Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr and Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Steve Gillen .

The meeting comes as Israel continues to bomb the Hamas stronghold of Gaza as part of the country’s counteroffensive, which could extend to a ground attack this week as troops mobilize across Israel.

Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza have resulted in the deaths of 1,100 people in the region.

Less than 24 hours before Blinken’s arrival in Israel, the world’s largest warship, the USS Gerald Ford Strike Group, arrived in the eastern Mediterranean.

According to a press release from US Command Central, the move into the region was intended to “deter any actor seeking to escalate the situation or expand this war.”

Capt. Angelica White, spokesperson for the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, told Marine Corps Times that the group had been ordered to return to the ships and end their exercises in Kuwait early.

She said the orders for Marines and sailors to return to their ships were to “prepare for further duties as a result of emerging events,” but did not clarify whether that was related to the terrorist attacks in Israel.