At least 33 Americans have been killed during Israel's war with the terrorist organization Hamas, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the United Nations on Tuesday, and 10 remain unaccounted for.
The State Department's tally on Friday indicated that 32 Americans were killed during the conflict, which began on Oct. 7. But that number has risen to 33, and a "handful" of Americans remain hostages of Hamas.
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Blinken also called on the U.N. Security Council to use its leverage to keep the Israel-Hamas war from expanding, noting an uptick in attacks against U.S. nationals by Iranian proxies in the Middle East.
“To all the members of this council, if you, like the United States, want to prevent this conflict from spreading, tell Iran, tell its proxies in public, in private, through every means: Do not open another front against Israel in this conflict. Do not attack Israel's partners,” Blinken said in his address. “We urge members to go a step further and make clear that if Iran or its proxies widen this conflict and put more civilians at risk, you will hold them accountable. Act as if the security and stability of the entire region and beyond is on the line — because it is."
Blinken additionally called on all nations to condemn Hamas’s attacks and said all civilians should be protected. He also reemphasized America’s belief in Israel’s right to defend itself.
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The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has resulted in more than 6,000 deaths in Israel and Gaza, according to the Associated Press.
The State Department put out a worldwide travel caution last week for Americans looking to travel overseas for the holidays, citing "increased tensions in various locations around the world." Americans who do travel overseas are encouraged to "stay alert in locations frequented by tourists" and enroll in the department's safety program to receive information and alerts that make it easier to be located in emergencies.