In a shocking turn of events, an elderly Holocaust survivor in a wheelchair was among the more than 100 people taken hostage by the Palestinian terror group Hamas over the weekend, as confirmed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Speaking to ABC News' "This Week," Blinken emphasized that the Palestinian assault on Israel was the worst in 50 years, surpassing even the intensity of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. However, he quickly pointed out a significant difference between the two conflicts, stating, "That [1973 conflict] was a war that was state to state, country to country, army to army. This is a massive terrorist attack that is gunning down Israeli civilians in their towns, in their homes."

Blinken went on to address the distressing videos circulating online, where Hamas gunmen were seen forcefully dragging individuals, including an elderly woman in a wheelchair, across the border with Gaza. Expressing his concern, Blinken said, "So you can imagine the impact this is having throughout Israel, and the world should be revolted at what it has seen."

Adding to the gravity of the situation, Blinken confirmed reports of multiple Americans being killed in the ongoing conflict, which the Biden administration is diligently working to verify. Furthermore, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer revealed that Americans were among the “scores” of hostages taken by Hamas, many of whom are women, children, and the elderly.

Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, launched a surprise attack on Israel, unleashing a barrage of rockets and initiating a ground assault on Saturday. The devastating assault has resulted in the deaths of more than 600 Israeli citizens and the injury of over 2,100 others, with officials anticipating the death toll to rise. Disturbing videos have surfaced, depicting Hamas terrorists parading hostages through the streets, causing widespread outrage.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, "we are at war," invoking Article 40 Aleph and marking the nation's first formally declared war since 1973. He vowed that Hamas would pay a price like never before, promising "mighty vengeance" and asserting that Israel would emerge victorious.

On the other side, Gaza health officials reported at least 300 Palestinians killed and 2,200 injured, including 20 children killed and 121 injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Antony Blinken condemned the violence and reaffirmed the Biden administration's support for Israel, emphasizing their efforts in coordinating with the Israeli government.

Blinken stressed that this conflict significantly differs from past wars, such as the Yom Kippur War, as it is primarily a terrorist attack targeting Israeli civilians. He highlighted the indiscriminate firing of thousands of rockets and the distressing scenes of men, women, and children being dragged into Gaza from across the border. While there have been skirmishes near the Israeli-Lebanese border, Blinken stated that the activity has been limited for now. However, concerns have been raised about the potential involvement of Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, given its alignment with Hamas.

President Biden has been firm in his stance that no other entity should exploit the situation, particularly Hezbollah. The US is closely monitoring Hezbollah and is prepared to respond accordingly. Blinken also speculated that Hamas' attack may have been motivated by ongoing negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. However, he emphasized that there is no evidence linking Iran, who supports Hamas and Hezbollah, to the recent attack.

The intelligence failures leading up to the attack have drawn comparisons to the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US. Blinken acknowledged that there will be an in-depth review of the situation to identify any missed information or opportunities for improvement. In the meantime, the US is committed to ensuring Israel has the support it needs to navigate this crisis.