Israeli death toll from Hamas attack surpasses 1,000, top military officer says

Israeli officials said Tuesday that the country’s death toll has surpassed 1,000 from the attacks by Hamas that began Saturday.

Authorities in Gaza and the West Bank say 850 people have been killed in fighting there, according to The Associated Press. Military officials noted that hundreds of Hamas fighters are among the dead in the West Bank and Gaza. 

Hamas fighters invaded Israel by land, sea and air Saturday, and scenes of indiscriminate killings of civilians have since appeared on video. Israel launched counterattacks on Gaza and has rained down hundreds of strikes on the area. Rockets from Hamas also continue to be fired into Israel.

Hamas is the governing authority of Gaza. Unlike the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, it does not recognize Israel’s right to exist as a state and is considered a terrorist group by the U.S. and European Union governments, among others.

In the Saturday attacks, Hamas also took hostages, returning them to Gaza. At least 11 Americans are among the dead, and some Americans unaccounted for may be hostages.

Israeli officials have said that Hamas and other militant groups are holding more than 150 soldiers and civilians hostage. 

The Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., said earlier Tuesday that more than 3,400 people were wounded in the attacks.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said forces from his country will exact a “huge price” against Hamas for the attack, as the U.S. and its Western allies have pledged their support for Israel. 

“We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned. There is never any justification for terrorism,” President Biden said in a joint statement alongside four Western European leaders late Monday. “Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities.”

The Associated Press contributed.