U.S. "planning for contingencies" to help Americans leave Israel

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Southern Israel — The U.S. Embassy successful Jerusalem told U.S. citizens successful Israel Thursday greeting that the State Department was "planning for contingencies to assistance with backstage U.S. citizens' departure from Israel."

"We volition alert the U.S. national assemblage if determination is further accusation to stock regarding departure options," the embassy said successful an email connection to Americans who had enrolled successful the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

"If the U.S. authorities provides departure assistance from Israel, options would astir apt see question to a nearby, harmless country," and not question each the mode backmost to the U.S., the embassy said. It asked Americans successful Israel funny successful leaving the state to capable retired an online form.

"You volition beryllium liable for your onward question aft arriving successful the nearby, harmless country. Consular officers volition beryllium disposable to assistance you connected accomplishment with consular services, including a indebtedness to repatriate to the United States if you privation to bash truthful and qualify," the embassy said. It besides said U.S. citizens would not beryllium required to wage for the service, but they "will beryllium expected to motion a promissory enactment to repay the U.S. government. We volition archer you the estimated magnitude you volition beryllium expected to repay earlier you travel."

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Americans to registry for the STEP programme successful a societal media station aboriginal Thursday, echoing a akin connection helium posted Wednesday. His Wednesday station caused immoderate confusion, arsenic the State Department said afterward that it had "no announcement astir assisting backstage U.S. citizens to depart astatine this time."

"We're moving to get military, commercial, charter flights & cruise ships for evac," Huckabee said Thursday. "If you're offered a seat, instrumentality it. Family successful Israel? Tell them to enactment adjacent to structure & don't disregard sirens!"

Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport remained closed Thursday, on with each of Israel's airspace and seaports. A fig of different countries, including China and respective European nations, started evacuating citizens from Israel earlier this week.

On Wednesday, President Trump signaled the anticipation of joining Israel successful its ongoing strikes connected Iran. Later successful the day, officials told CBS News helium had approved onslaught plans, but not yet made a last determination connected joining Iran's strikes.

"I whitethorn bash it, I whitethorn not bash it, cipher knows what I'm going to do," Mr. Trump told reporters earlier successful the time erstwhile asked whether the U.S. would get progressive successful the strikes connected Iran's atomic and subject facilities.

Mr. Trump has called connected Iran to surrender completely. But Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his state would not surrender and warned the U.S. against subject intervention.

A fig of Americans were trying to permission Israel crossed its onshore borderline with Jordan connected Thursday, including a mates from Vermont who came to Israel connected June 9 for their nephew's wedding and told CBS News they'd lone learned precocious that they could permission implicit onshore into Jordan.

Another mates said they had been connected a circuit of Israel erstwhile it launched its onslaught connected Iran and had been near stranded. Their circuit institution helped them signifier question to Israel's borderline with Jordan.