220 soldiers among 1,300 Israelis dead in attacks and clashes with Hamas
JERUSALEM (AFP) - The Israeli military says over 1,300 people, including 220 soldiers, have been killed in the ongoing war with the Hamas.
The military said that over 3,200 Israelis are wounded and several among them are in a critical condition. Israel hospitals are struggling to cope with 'astronomical' number of people wounded in the war. Dan Schwarzfuchs has led the emergency unit in southern Israel's biggest hospital for almost a decade, but the rhythm of wounded rushing in since Hamas's bloody weekend assault was unimaginable for him.
With cover from a barrage of rockets, Hamas militants had breached Israel's southern border on Saturday, pouring in by air, land and sea to gun down civilians in the streets and in their homes.
The Hamas assault has also left more than 3,200 wounded in Israel, including 870 who were taken to the Soroka hospital in Beersheba, about 40 kilometres (24 miles) from the Gaza Strip. Schwarzfuchs said he and his team rushed to the hospital as soon as he heard two consecutive sirens wailing early Saturday.
Meanwhile, the US State Department said that at least 22 citizens have been killed. An unspecified number of Americans are believed to have been abducted. "We now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas," President Joe Biden said.
Twenty-one Thais have been killed, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Thursday. Another 13 were wounded and 14 are thought to have been abducted, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
There are approximately 30,000 Thais in Israel, most working in the agricultural sector, according to government figures.
Eleven French nationals have died, according to an official toll released late on Wednesday. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said earlier that 18 French nationals were missing, including "several children... probably kidnapped".
Ten Nepali citizens were killed in Kibbutz Alumim, the Himalayan republic's embassy in Tel Aviv. Kibbutz Alumim was hosting 17 students at the time of the attack.
The Argentina's foreign ministry confirmed that seven of the country's had been killed and 15 others were missing. At least four Russian-Israelis have been killed, the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv said. It said it had no information about any hostages but that six Russian nationals were missing.
Two Britons have been confirmed dead by their families, and the Israeli embassy in London on Wednesday confirmed two more. The Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday that a "significant number" of British-Israeli dual nationals had been caught up in the fighting.
Three Canadians have been killed and three others remain missing, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said. China's foreign ministry said on Thursday that three Chinese nationals had been killed and two were missing.
