Raging war: U.S. to evacuate citizens from Israel

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The U.S. Department of State on Thursday said the government will begin the evacuation of its citizens from Israel from Friday.

Israel is currently locked in bitter war with Hamas after the latter launched deadly attacks on Israel, killing over 1,300 people.

Israel is currently retaliating, raining bombs on Gaza. At least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed so far in the attack.

Spokesperson, US Department of State, Matthew Miller, in a statement said starting from Friday, October 13, the U.S. government would arrange charter flights to assist U.S. citizens and their immediate family members who have been unable to book commercial transit and sought a safe means of departing Israel.

“From these locations, individuals will be able to make their own onward travel arrangements to the destination of their choice. These initial transportation options will be augmented in the coming days.

“Senior State Department officials are actively working with airline carriers and international partners on how best to provide additional options to U.S. citizens seeking to depart Israel or conduct onward travel to the United States. U.S. citizens in need of assistance should complete the crisis intake form on travel.state.gov,” he said.

The Department said it would continue to monitor the situation closely and evaluate the demand from U.S. citizens for assistance in departing Israel on a real-time basis but expected these initial travel options to facilitate the safe departure of thousands of U.S. citizens per week.

“The overall security situation, availability and reliability of commercial transportation, and U.S. citizen demand will all influence the duration of this departure assistance.

“We will have more to share in the coming days and will provide updates to U.S. citizens who have registered via our online form. We will continue to provide updates and assistance to U.S. citizens as the situation evolves,” he said.