State Department ups American death toll in Israel-Hamas conflict

The State Department reported new death toll numbers of Americans in the Israeli-Hamas conflict Saturday, with 29 now confirmed dead, according to NBC News.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected,” a State Department spokesperson said, according to the outlet.

The State Department spokesperson also noted 15 unaccounted-for Americans that it had knowledge of, in addition to one lawful permanent resident. 

“The U.S. government is working around the clock to determine their whereabouts and is working with the Israeli government on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to advise the Israeli government on hostage recovery efforts,” the spokesperson continued.

The new numbers come two days after the White House confirmed 27 American deaths as a result of the conflict. The number of Americans reported unaccounted for has risen by one since then as well. The overall death toll of the conflict has more than doubled since Thursday, from more than 1,200 to over 3,200 now, according to The Associated Press. 

Israel ordered 1 million people in the north of Gaza to evacuate to the southern part of the territory Friday ahead of an expected ground offensive. The Israel Defense Forces have gathered troops and equipment in the area of the Gaza border. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the front lines in the area Saturday.

“With our fighters in the Gaza Strip, on the front line,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday. “We are all ready.”