(JNS) The United States has started the voluntary evacuation process for US citizens who wish to leave Israel amid the country’s conflict with Iran.
“Urgent notice,” Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, posted on social media on Wednesday. “American citizens wanting to leave Israel, the US embassy in Israel is working on evacuation flights and cruise ship departures.”
The envoy urged citizens to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive updates.
The US State Department announced on Tuesday that it established a Middle East task force, operating 24 hours a day, to help coordinate support for US citizens, diplomatic missions and personnel during the conflict between Israel and Iran.
Tammy Bruce, the State Department spokeswoman, told reporters that the task force will help US citizens stranded in regional trouble spots receive timely information, including travel advisories and security updates, through a website and hotline.
But details about the potential evacuation of US citizens were lacking, including figures of how many Americans have requested to depart and what options are available to them, even as other countries are calling for their citizens to leave Israel.
“Our commitment is to the safety and security of Americans around the world,” Bruce told reporters at the department’s press briefing.
Bruce denied that the department was caught flat-footed by the conflict’s rapid pace.
“The Department of State is always planning for contingencies to assist private US citizens’ departure from crisis areas, and we will alert the US citizenry community if there is, and when there is, additional information to share regarding their options during any crisis, but certainly this one as well,” she said.
Given the rate at which Israel is dismantling Iran’s chain of political and military command, the issue may be moot, particularly if, as US President Donald Trump hinted on Tuesday and Wednesday, the United States becomes actively involved in the attacks.
Still, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), and 43 other House members sent a bipartisan letter to Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging them to lay out to Congress the steps they have planned to evacuate American citizens from Israel.
“Americans in Israel are depending on our government for guidance and a pathway to safety,” the congressmen wrote. “We understand the obstacles posed by the current security situation and the closure of Israel’s airspace. Therefore, all available options, including evacuations by land routes and sea, must be explored.”
The letter noted that constituents were already being directed to the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program registration page, without further clarity.
“We trust that you will honor your responsibility to protect the American people, no matter where they are in the world,” the lawmakers wrote. They sought answers by today.
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