By MARY CLARE JALONICK, SEUNG MIN KIM, and MATTHEW LEE
WASHINGTON — The White House will initiate evacuation flights to assist Americans in leaving Israel as the country prepares for escalated retaliatory actions against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The evacuation flights are scheduled to begin on Friday, according to John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesman. The U.S. government is organizing at least four charter flights a day out of Israel. The death toll in the conflict now includes at least 27 Americans, and 14 U.S. citizens remain unaccounted for. The White House confirmed that some Americans are among those taken hostage by Hamas.
U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, made a visit to a donation center for victims of the Hamas attacks in Tel Aviv on Thursday. This visit was part of his urgent mission to show U.S. support after the unprecedented attack by Hamas militants.
Additionally, Jewish, Arab, and Muslim communities in the U.S. are discussed by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. They met with senior administration officials to discuss efforts to safeguard these communities following the Hamas attacks in Israel.
The evacuation assistance is expected to last as long as needed, with the State Department estimating that thousands of U.S. citizens will be initially facilitated out of Israel each week. Concerns have been raised about the feasibility and affordability of commercial transportation options for Americans who want to leave Israel.
U.S. officials estimate that 160,000-170,000 Americans are currently in Israel, with approximately 500-600 American citizens in Gaza. The State Department has urged Americans in need of evacuation assistance to complete the crisis intake form on their website. Commercial carriers are still operating in and out of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport and ground routes remain open for those wanting to leave Israel.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Israel included meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli citizens. The deputy special representative for hostage affairs, Steve Gillen, will stay in Israel to support efforts to free the hostages.
Meanwhile, Israeli defense officials have not yet ordered a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip but have made preparations. Over 300,000 reservists have been called into action in anticipation of a potential ground invasion.
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