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| At least 25 Americans killed in Hamas attack, Antony Blinken says | At least 25 Americans killed in Hamas attack, Antony Blinken says |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| US secretary of state appears with Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel and says Washington working to secure release of hostages | US secretary of state appears with Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel and says Washington working to secure release of hostages |
| At least 25 Americans have been killed in the attack by Hamas militants in Israel Antony Blinken said on Thursday, during a visit to show solidarity with Israel. | |
| In a joint statement with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the US secretary of state said Washington was working closely with Israel to secure the release of people taken hostage by Hamas. | |
| Netanyahu called Blinken’s visit a “tangible example of America’s unequivocable support of Israel”, and compared Hamas to the Islamic State militant group. | Netanyahu called Blinken’s visit a “tangible example of America’s unequivocable support of Israel”, and compared Hamas to the Islamic State militant group. |
| “Just as Isis was crushed, Hamas will be crushed,” he said. | “Just as Isis was crushed, Hamas will be crushed,” he said. |
| Blinken reiterated American support. | Blinken reiterated American support. |
| “The message I bring with me is this: you may strong enough on your own to defend yourselves but as long as America exists you will never have to,” he said. | “The message I bring with me is this: you may strong enough on your own to defend yourselves but as long as America exists you will never have to,” he said. |
| In Gaza, Palestinians lined up outside bakeries and grocery stores after spending the night surrounded by the ruins of pulverized neighborhoods darkened by a near-total power outage. Israel launched new airstrikes and said it was preparing for a possible ground invasion. | |
| International aid groups warned that the death toll in Gaza could mount after Israel stopped all deliveries of food, water, fuel and electricity and the tiny enclave’s crossing with Egypt was closed. The war has already claimed at least 2,600 lives on both sides. | |
| A senior official with the the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that the lack of electricity could cripple hospitals. | |
| “As Gaza loses power, hospitals lose power, putting newborns in incubators and elderly patients on oxygen at risk. Kidney dialysis stops, and X-rays can’t be taken,” said Fabrizio Carboni, the ICRC regional director. “Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues.” | |
| Lt Col Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, told reporters on Thursday forces “are preparing for a ground maneuver” should political leaders order one. A ground offensive in Gaza, whose 2.3 million residents are densely packed into a sliver of land only 25 miles long, would be likely to bring even higher casualties on both sides in brutal house-to-house fighting. | |
| Hamas fighters have fired thousands of rockets into Israel since their weekend assault. Militants are holding an estimated 150 people taken hostage from Israel. | |
| The Israeli energy minister, Israel Katz, said nothing would be allowed into Gaza until the captives were released. | |
| “Not a single electricity switch will be flipped on, not a single faucet will be turned on, and not a single fuel truck will enter until the Israeli hostages are returned home,” he said. |