At least 11 Americans killed in Israel-Gaza war

Joe Biden says his administration is trying to confirm if others are being held hostage by Hamas

Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, on October 9. Reuters

Follow the latest updates on the Israel-Gaza violence here.

US President Joe Biden confirmed on Monday that at least 11 Americans have been killed in the war between Israel and Gaza, with more in the region unaccounted for.

Mr Biden said “it is likely” that US citizens are among the people who Hamas took hostage in Saturday's surprise attack on Israel.

He said his administration is still working to confirm if there are any American hostages.

“The safety of American citizens – whether at home or abroad – is my top priority as President,” Mr Biden said.

He said he has also directed his team to work with the Israelis on “every aspect of the hostage crisis”.

“This is not some distant tragedy,” he said. “The ties between Israel and the United States run deep.

"It is personal for so many American families who are feeling the pain of this attack as well as the scars inflicted through millennia of anti-Semitism and persecution of Jewish people.”

Mr Biden said commercial flights and ground options remain available for US citizens who are still in Israel.

He also said the State Department is providing consular services and urged those in the area to follow local guidance.

Dozens of foreigners have been killed in the violence, including victims from Thailand, Nepal, Ukraine, France, Britain, Canada and Cambodia.

At least 900 people have been killed on the Israeli side, most by militants who entered Israel from Gaza by land, air and sea, while more than 600 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip as Israel pounds the enclave.