The United States will charter flights out of Israel amid the attacks by the terrorist group Hamas, announced the White House on Oct. 12.
“We are all acutely aware of limited availability right now on commercial flights out of Israel and the demand signal of U.S. citizens who may want to depart. The president has asked his team to ensure we are assisting U.S. citizens who do want to leave Israel in providing them with a safe means of doing that,” National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters.
“We’re also exploring other options to expand the capacity of doing this, including exploring whether it’s possible to help Americans leave by land and by sea,” he continued.
The flights will begin Oct. 13. They will not be direct flights to the United States but rather to European places from which passengers can fly en route to the United States.
On Oct. 10, the State Department said the Biden administration is trying to make it easier for Americans to get flights out of Israel.
“We have been in contact with a number of American citizens in Israel. There are a number ... who are longtime residents of Israel, some of whom are dual citizens, some of them who moved there,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller during a press briefing.
“And then there are Americans who were there ... either visiting for business, or for tourism or something else, and have been in contact with a number of Americans through our embassy there,” he continued.
“Some of whom we have helped facilitate travel to depart the country.
“The airport is still open. There are flights that are getting out of the airport in Tel Aviv. And so we encourage people to try to avail themselves of those options.
“We have also been in conversation with various carriers to encourage them to consider resuming travel in and out of Israel and will continue to do that.”
Numerous airlines—including American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Ryanair and British Airways—have halted flights to and from Israel due to the conflict, which has included Hamas firing rockets—some of which have hit Ben Gurion International Airport.
“We understand that there are a number of American citizens who want to leave Israel and that currently, it may be that there aren’t enough available flights because some carriers have suspended travel,” Mr. Miller told The Epoch Times in response to a question about citizens stranded in Israel.
“As I said, we have been in discussions with carriers urging them to consider whether they want to resume travel.
“There are still flights that are making it out of Israel, some El Al flights, other flights to operated by carriers in the region,” he continued, referring to Israel’s national airline.
“And so we would encourage you as citizens to try to take advantage of those flights or other routes out. And if they do contact the embassy, we will seek to facilitate travel with any information that we have that can be helpful.”
U.S. citizens looking to leave Israel should contact the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem at 1-833-890-9595 or 1-606-641-0131.
At least 2,500 people, including 27 U.S. citizens, have been killed in the conflict, which started on Oct. 7.
