Biden says 11 Americans confirmed dead amid Israeli-Palestinian conflict

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday that 11 U.S. citizens were killed in the latest conflict between Hamas and Israel.

The president's announcement raised the death toll of Americans in the ongoing conflict by two people compared with what was confirmed by the National Security Council in a statement issued earlier in the day.

Biden in his statement also said the U.S. government believes that Americans are likely among those taken hostage by Hamas. He said the administration is "sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts."

Biden reiterated U.S. commitment to ensure "Israel has what it needs to defend itself and its people."