Topline
The U.S. government will start offering evacuation flights for American citizens looking to leave Israel on Friday, as the war between Israel and Gaza-based militant group Hamas continues—and the confirmed American death toll rises.
Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike on the Sousi mosque in Gaza City on … [+] October 9, 2023. Israel continued to battle Hamas fighters on October 9 and massed tens of thousands of troops and heavy armour around the Gaza Strip after vowing a massive blow over the Palestinian militants’ surprise attack. (Photo by Mahmud HAMS / AFP)
Key Facts
The flights are expected to begin Friday “to provide transportation from Israel to sites in Europe” for American citizens and their immediate families, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said during Thursday’s press briefing.
The government is planning for at least four charter flights a day out of Israel, the Associated Press reported, citing unnamed sources.
The State Department’s current travel advisory for Israel is a Level 3—meaning people should reconsider travel but aren’t outright told not to go—and Gaza remains at a Level 4, meaning the State Department advises not to travel.
Civilian flights can still enter and leave Israel, but many foreign airlines have canceled flights, making it difficult for foreign travelers to leave the country.
U.S. officials estimate there are between 160,000 and 170,000 Americans in Israel and between 500 and 600 in Gaza, according to the Associated Press.
What To Watch For
A State Department spokesperson told Forbes on Wednesday the department was exploring contracting options “by air, land, and sea to nearby countries” due to the high demand for flights.
Big Number
27. That’s how many U.S. citizens are confirmed to have been killed in the weekend’s Hamas attack. There are also 14 Americans who are still missing, the White House said Thursday.
Key Background
On Saturday, militants from Hamas crossed the Gaza Strip border into southern Israel, killed residents and took captives, and fired rockets toward Israeli cities in what became one of the worst attacks on Israel in decades. Israel almost immediately formally declared war and began hitting targets in Gaza, and just five days in, more than 2,300—1,200 Israelis and 1,100 Palestinians—have died, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. There are a number of Americans confirmed to be Hamas captives, Kirby said, though officials won’t give an exact number. He added in Wednesday’s press briefing that the U.S. is “ready to take action should any actor hostile to Israel consider trying to escalate or widen this war.” Officials haven’t named the missing or dead Americans, but the New York Times has identified some using family reports and said among them are a mother and daughter from around Chicago, a recent Long Island high school graduate and a young adult who attended a music festival at which at least 260 people were killed Saturday.
Further Reading
NytimesWhat We Know About the Americans Missing or Killed in IsraelAP NewsUS announces evacuation flights for Americans who want to leave Israel as war with Hamas rages
