An 18-year-old Chicago student and her mother are among the missing Americans feared to have been taken hostage by Hamas as its attack against Israel rages on. 

Natalie Ranaan was visiting family for the High Holidays with her mother, Judith, when the assault began on Saturday. Since then, relatives have not heard from either woman.

Her father, Uri, says they have been captured by Hamas fighters. The pair were in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz less than two miles from Gaza, when they vanished on Saturday. 

They are among a growing number of Americans who remain unaccounted for. 

Hersh Polin-Goldberg, 23, is another American now being held captive by Hamas. His mother says he had his arm ‘blown off’ from the elbow down. 

Natalie Ranaan was visiting family for the High Holidays with her mother, Judith, when the assault began on Saturday. Since then, relatives have not heard from either woman

Raanan and her mother were visiting family in Israel for the High Holidays. Their relatives 

Judith Raanan was also taken hostage along with her daughter. Their family in Illinois has not heard from them since Saturday

‘Unfortunately, what we heard about Hersh [from eyewitnesses] is that his arm was blown off from his elbow down. He tourniqueted his own arm,’ Rachel Golberg told CNN. 

This morning, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House confirmed 11 Americans have been killed. 

Their names have not yet been publicly released, and the number is expected to rise. 

‘We know that 11 Americans have been killed. Sadly we’re preparing for the very distinct possibility there will be more death for Americans here. 

‘We also have a number of wounded and another number that are unaccounted for. We just don’t know where they are.

‘We have to accept grim possibility that unaccounted for Americans could be among those held hostage,’ National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, said during an appearance on Good Morning America on Tuesday morning. 

Missing: Sisters Norelle and Roya Manzuri, who previously attended school in Los Angeles, were at the peace festival on Saturday 

Sagui Dekel-Chen, a 35-year-old American citizen who is among those missing

Itay Chen, a US citizen fighting in the Israeli Defense Force, who is also missing 

Hersh Golberg-Polin, 23, texted his mother and father ‘I love you. I’m sorry’ at 8.11am on Saturday – as Palestinian militants declared war on Israel, took dozens of people as hostage and killed hundreds during the Jewish high holiday

The State Department is yet to confirm the number of Americans missing in the conflict.

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Today, the families of some of those who have been taken captive held a press conference in Tel Aviv to raise awareness. 

Among their missing relatives is Itay Chen, a former New Yorker serving in the Israel Defense League. 

‘You would think that after 70 hours, if he’s not in the state of Israel, he might be somewhere else. He is, by definition, a POW. 

‘We are asking for the US government to ask Hamas to treat him as a POW should be treated,’ his father, Rubi, said.  

Hersh Golberg-Polin, 23, is also missing. He moved to Israel with his family in 2008 after first attending elementary school in Los Angeles.

Sisters Norelle and Roya Manzuri, who attended Temple Israel of Hollywood school, are missing along with Amit Cohen. 

Murdered: Debbie, a Missouri native, and Shlomi Matias were killed in front of their son on Saturday

The families of missing Americans in Israel gathered at a press conference in Tel Aviv today to share their stories 

Sagui Deke-Chen, 35, is also missing. His father, Jonathan, spoke at the press conference today along with the families of other US citizens taken hostage. 

Adrienne Neta, 66, is also missing. Her son, Nahar, is desperately trying to find her.

He today lambasted the Israeli government for not providing any information about what is being done to find the missing. 

The Biden administration says it will do ‘everything it can’ to bring the hostages home, but it’s unclear if that will extend to negotiating with Hamas. 

‘We will do everything possible to get them home. 

‘I don’t want to get too far ahead of where we are right now,’ Kirby said 

Israel’s response to Saturday’s attack continued today with dozens of airstrikes. Hamas, a designated terrorist group, has persisted with rockets. 

Today, its militants ordered residents in the town of Ashkelon to evacuate. 

Israeli soldiers remove the body of civilian, who was killed days earlier in an attack by Palestinian militants on this kibbutz near the border with Gaza, on October 10, 2023 in Kfar Gaza, Israel

Smoke billows during Israeli strikes on Gaza City on October 10, 2023. Israel said it recaptured Gaza border areas from Hamas as the war’s death toll passed 3,000 on October 10, the fourth day of grueling fighting since the Islamists launched a surprise attack