The number of Americans confirmed to have been killed in Hamas's Saturday attacks on Israel has risen to 22.
The State Department on Wednesday confirmed the number. At a press briefing the same day, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters that there are 22 dead Americans and 17 missing.
The confirmed death toll has quickly risen since early Monday, when the State Department said at least nine Americans were killed. That afternoon, the White House put the number at 11. The next day, President Joe Biden confirmed that 14 Americans had died.
Though the administration has provided timely updates through Tuesday and Wednesday, Americans did not see constant communications about the crisis on Monday.
After the State Department confirmed Monday morning that Americans had died in the attacks, Biden called a lid before noon. Americans who looked at the White House X account or that of the Department of Energy saw tweets about junk fees, "big pharma," and tribe-led green energy projects the Energy Department supported.