Americans who find themselves present in Israel during the initial stages of its conflict with Hamas have been instructed to independently secure their means of departure from the area, despite the prevailing circumstances of indefinite flight cancellations to and from the nation by nearly all prominent airline carriers.
On Monday, President Joe Biden, via the State Department, urged American citizens who are currently in Israel to consider utilizing commercial planes or ground vehicles as means of departure, in light of the escalating conflict between Israel and the neighboring Gaza Strip. Nevertheless, some airlines made the decision to promptly terminate all flights to Israel prior to the official notification from the administration. As a result, American citizens were faced with the potential challenge of engaging in prolonged negotiations with the Israeli embassy in order to secure their safe return to their home country.
“For American citizens who are currently in Israel, the State Department is providing consular assistance as well as updated security alerts. For those who desire to leave, commercial flights and ground options are still available,” Biden wrote. “Please also take sensible precautions in the days ahead and follow the guidance of local authorities.”
In the days following Hamas’s unexpected attack on Israel that resulted in hundreds of deaths at a music festival and hundreds more hostages, at least 11 Americans have lost their lives. Israel’s Air Force destroys entire city blocks with bombs, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister have declared complete attack on Gaza, cutting off the small territory’s supply of electricity and water. The goal of the actions is to guarantee that the Hamas command centers, which Iran supported, close down.
American, United, Delta, and other international carriers such as Air France, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, and Brussels Airlines are among the airlines that have announced either temporary or permanent suspensions of operations.
When contacted for comment by the Daily Caller, a representative of the White House National Security Council pointed to broad guidelines issued by the American Embassy in Israel about keeping an eye out for updated flights arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport.
The Biden administration continues to suffer setbacks in its attempts to manage the aftermath of a crisis that some argue it should have predicted, most notably its callous handling of American citizens stuck in Israel. Some of the money that the White House sent to Iran in exchange for American captives turned out to have financed Hamas’s foray into Israel. President Biden faced more criticism after hosting a barbecue for White House employees in the days that followed. Tucker Carlson and other conservatives fear that the president is bent on starting a second, never-ending war, despite his insistence that he is only interested in giving Israel all the support it requires.
The post Biden Under Fire For Stranding Americans In Israel With Bad Advice appeared first on The Republic Brief.
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