TEL AVIV, October 25. /TASS/. The escalation of the conflict between Palestine and Israel has killed 23 Russian nationals, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

"Russia. 23 killed, 4 missing," the ministry said in a roundup of casualties posted to X (formerly Twitter).

According to the data, updated on the morning of October 24, a total of 250 foreigners were killed and 81 went missing.

These are the same data that were released by the office of the Israeli prime minister the day before. Israel first reported the death of 23 Russians in a previous roundup, dated October 21, but the number of missing Russians in that roundup was six.

Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov said on October 20 that 20 Russians had been killed in the conflict. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on October 24 that the number of Russian casualties could change because the region was going through "a real war." He however said he was unaware how many Russians had been killed, but said data from the Russian embassy were reliable.

The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated following an incursion of Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7. Hamas regards the attack as a response to Israeli actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Israel has declared a complete siege of the Gaza Strip and has started delivering strikes on that area and parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.