US to Evacuate Nationals from Israel to Cyprus Ahead of Gaza Military Campaign – News18

The United States is planning to take its citizens out of Israel to Cyprus on Monday via ship, the American embassy said as the tension continues to brew in the Gaza Strip ahead of a suspected military operation. A US ship will leave from the Israeli port of Haifa for Limassol taking their “nationals and their immediate family members with a valid travel document”, the embassy said in a security alert Sunday.

The US embassy did not say how many people would be taken on the ship but said the “boarding will proceed in order of arrival and is on a space-limited basis.” Boarding would start at 8.00 a.m. (local time). “The US government is facilitating transportation for U.S. citizens; we urge those wishing to leave to take advantage of these charters while they are available,” the embassy said.

“Sunday, October 15, U.S. citizens should arrive at Ben Gurion Terminal 3 and look for a table with a U.S. flag where U.S. Embassy personnel will be present to provide further instructions and assistance. Chartered transportation will be to nearby safe locations, not back to the United States and you may not be able to choose your destination,” it added.

Tens of thousands of US passport holders live in Israel and 29 have been confirmed killed in the Hamas attacks on October 7. Another 15 are missing and believed to be among hostages held by Hamas since the attacks. The US embassy said each passenger would have to sign a document promising to repay the cost of the trip and would only be allowed to carry one suitcase. It said that some chartered flights would be arranged from Cyprus for onward travel.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of residents sought to heed Israel’s order to evacuate roughly the northern half of the territory, while others huddled at hospitals in the north on Sunday. Gaza’s 2.3 million civilians faced a struggle for food, water and safety, and braced for a looming invasion a week after Hamas militants launched a deadly assault on Israel that killed 1300. In response, Israeli airstrikes have resulted in more than 2,000 casualties in the densely populated enclave.

Israeli forces, supported by a growing deployment of US warships in the region, positioned themselves along Gaza’s border and drilled for what Israel said would be a campaign by air, land and sea to dismantle the militant group. Israel dropped leaflets over Gaza City in the north and renewed warnings on social media, ordering more than 1 million Gaza residents to move south.

(With agency inputs)