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U.S. officials are working to confirm reports that Americans are among those killed or taken hostage by Hamas during its Saturday attack into southern Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken<\/strong> said Sunday.<\/p>\n In an interview with NBC News\u2019 Kristen Welker<\/strong>, Blinken said<\/a> the Biden administration was \u201cvery actively working\u201d to confirm reports that \u201cseveral Americans\u201d are among those killed over the weekend. \u201cSimilarly,\u201d he added, \u201cwe\u2019ve seen reports about hostages and again, we\u2019re very actively trying to verify them, and nail that down.\u201d<\/p>\n Several Israeli media outlets have reported that at least 600 people have been killed so far this weekend in Israel. The Government Press Office, which operates under the authority of the Prime Minister, said<\/a> Sunday on Facebook that 100 people had been taken hostage in Gaza. Gaza\u2019s Health Ministry has reported over 300 people killed in the territory, including 20 children.<\/p>\n Reports of American hostages among those taken were confirmed<\/a> by Israel\u2019s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog,<\/strong> in a Sunday morning interview with CBS host Margaret Brennan<\/strong> on Face the Nation. Asked whether Americans were among the hostages taken by Hamas, Herzog said, \u201cI understand there are, but I don\u2019t have details.\u201d He added that he wasn\u2019t able to confirm any specific numbers, but said that there are \u201cprobably dozens of kidnapped Israelis and others in the hands of Hamas.\u201d<\/p>\n Brennan asked Herzog, \u201cAt what cost?\u201d Israel is prepared to get hostages out of Gaza. The ambassador replied that it was \u201cpremature\u201d to discuss the issue. \u201cWe\u2019ll have to deal with it in due time,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a very complicated situation. But I think it\u2019s premature to discuss any deals or prices or whatever. Right now, we are at war.\u201d<\/p>\n Saleh al-Arouri<\/strong>, deputy chief of Hamas\u2019s political bureau, told<\/a> Al-Jazeera on Saturday that Hamas had captured enough senior Israeli military leaders in exchange for the freedom of all Palestinians currently imprisoned in Israeli jails. \u201cOur detainees in [Israeli] prisons, their freedom is looming large. What we have in our hands will release all our prisoners,\u201d he said. The longer the fighting continues, the higher the number of prisoners will become.\u201d<\/p>\n Palestinian Prisoner rights group Addameer reports<\/a> that there are currently over 5,000 Palestinian people in Israeli jails, including 33 women and 170 children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n