US arranging charter flights for Americans looking to leave Israel

The Biden administration is arranging charter flights for U.S. citizens looking to leave Israel amid a shortage of commercial flights in the aftermath of terrorist attacks against the Jewish state.

John Kirby, a White House spokesperson on national security issues, said the administration is “acutely aware” of the limited availability of commercial flights out of Israel, and President Biden asked his team to ensure the government is assisting American citizens who want to leave.

“So, beginning tomorrow, the United States government will arrange charter flights to provide transportation from Israel to sites in Europe,” Kirby said. 

The flights will be for U.S. citizens and their immediate family members, said Kirby. The State Department is still working on finalizing details, including whether the flights will be free of charge.

“We’re also exploring other options to expand the capacity of doing this including whether it’s possible to help Americans by land and by sea,” Kirby said. “So again, we’re working hard on this. We know there’s a demand signal out there, and we’re going to try our best to meet it.”

There are still some commercial carriers flying in and out of Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, but leaving Israel has become more difficult for some in the region amid fighting between the Israelis and Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza.

Hamas launched terrorist attacks against Israel on Saturday that left more than 1,000 Israelis dead. Hundreds of Palestinians have died in subsequent fighting in Gaza.

Kirby confirmed Thursday that 27 Americans have been killed in the fighting, and 14 U.S. citizens are still unaccounted for.

The State Department on Wednesday increased its travel advisory urging Americans to “reconsider travel” there.

In a statement, the State Department said it would continue to evaluate the demand from U.S. citizens for such assistance.

“We 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 expect these initial travel options to facilitate the safe departure of thousands of U.S. citizens per week” the department said.

Laura Kelly contributed.

Updated 2:20 p.m.