JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that more than 9000 American citizens have safely returned from the Middle East, including more than 300 from Israel, since the start of the war.
'We have about 1,500 Americans that are requesting assistance with departure. We have identified and continued to identify charter flights, military flight options, and expanded commercial flight options, meaning working with the airlines to send bigger airplanes with more seats, and a combination of those three things,' he said at a news conference Tuesday.
'The impediment we're facing now, in many cases - we've had a couple instances in which we have planes in the air and on the way, and unfortunately the airspace gets closed and they have to turn back around. So we're working through those challenges,' he told reporters.
In a message to Americans who are in the Middle East and in need of assistance, Rubio said that it is important to 'put both the website and the phone numbers on your screens, because we need to know where you are'. 'We need to have contact information for Americans that need assistance. They have to register with us, because as these options begin to open up, we have to be able to call you and know where you're staying so we can get this information to you and coordinate appropriately'.
He added that stranded Anericans will be evacuated using a variety of methods: 'charter flights, military flights and transports, expanded commercial opportunities, and in some cases land routes that will allow them to go to neighboring countries who might have open airports at that point'.
Separately, the U.S. Department of State said it is facilitating charter flights from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan for American citizens, and will continue to secure additional capacity as security conditions allow.
Commercial aviation options remain available in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Egypt, and the Department is actively helping American citizens book those tickets. For those in countries lacking commercial aviation availability, the Department is facilitating travel to third countries as conditions allow. That includes increasing ground transportation options for American citizens wishing to leave Israel.
The State Department said it has answered calls from nearly 3000 American citizens in the Middle East and continues to provide travel options for those wishing to leave. The Department will also waive any statutory requirement for American citizens to reimburse the government for travel expenses.
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