Eight French citizens have been confirmed dead and 20 others remain missing following the Hamas attacks against Israel, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said Tuesday.
“I must inform you, with immense sadness, that we regret the death of eight compatriots in these Hamas terrorist attacks and we have lost contact with 20 French citizens who went missing near Gaza,” Colonna told the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly.
Those missing include at least one child, Colonna said, but it is possible several children are among the missing.
The numbers are likely to continue to rise — France previously said four citizens were dead and 14 missing — as Israeli authorities continue to identify victims, the foreign minister said.
Separately, the French government is in contact with Air France to organize a special flight Thursday to evacuate French citizens who wish to leave Israel, according to Colonna.
