U.S. government to start charter flights Friday to get Americans out of Israel
SACRAMENTO -- The U.S. Department of State announced a plan to fly Americans out of Israel starting Friday.
The charter flights will be arranged by the U.S. government for American citizens and their immediate family members who have been unable to book commercial transit and a safe way to leave Israel.
In a White House press briefing on Thursday, it confirmed the charter flights would take U.S. citizens from Israel to sites in Europe.
"They're still working through some of the details of that to assist U.S. citizens and their immediate family members who have, for whatever reason, not been able to provide commercial transit out of the country," said NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby.
There are also options being explored to expand the capacity of transporting American citizens out of Israel, according to Kirby, including "whether it's possible to help Americans leave by land and by sea."
The initial travel out of Israel is arranged through government charter flights, but after that, individuals are responsible for their own transportation, according to a statement released Thursday by the U.S. State Department.
Future plans put out by the government may also include further travel options, according to the statement, as the State Department is "actively working with airline carriers and international partners" on how to provide more options to American citizens who want to leave Israel.
CBS13 has learned that at least one family from Northern California is waiting for the U.S. charter flights to begin to get home.