The United States is working to evacuate US citizens wishing to leave Israel by arranging flights and cruise ship departures, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said in a post on X on Wednesday, as fears mount of further military escalation between Iran and Israel.
The US embassy in Jerusalem has been working on the evacuation arrangements, Huckabee said, urging Americans in the country to sign up for updates through the State Department's Smart Traveler program.
"Urgent notice! American citizens wanting to leave Israel- US Embassy in Israel @usembassyjlm is working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures. You must enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)," Huckabee wrote.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It remains unclear how many Americans are seeking to depart Israel or whether the US military would assist with the evacuation flights.
Prime Minister's Office works to evacuate tourists
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that it was also working to return Israelis trapped abroad to their countries of origin.
In a Wednesday statement, the PMO said that it would form a steering committee with representatives from the Foreign Ministry, the National Emergency Authority, and the Population and Immigration Ministry.
The steering committee aims to "determine the criteria, establish guiding principles, and handle exceptional requests concerning Israelis who are proposed to receive priority for their return."
The notice said that once it is determined that outbound flights can fully operate, the committee will begin assisting tourists in Israel who wish to go home.
Australia, New Zealand, and China evacuate citizens
Australia has evacuated a small number of citizens from Israel, and New Zealand embassy staff have left Iran. Still, the two governments warned that closed airspace limited how they could assist thousands of citizens requesting help to leave the conflict zone.
Around 1,500 Australians in Iran have registered for assistance, with another 1,200 Australians in Israel seeking to leave, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday.
The Australian government evacuated a small group from Israel through a land border crossing on Wednesday, and would look for more opportunities over the next day, Wong told reporters.
"There are real limits, hard limits, on what the government can do. The airspace remains closed," she said.
New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand was doing all it could to help its citizens in the face of "very serious practical constraints," and was providing advice on overland border exits.
China's embassy in Israel will assist Chinese citizens who want to evacuate to leave in batches beginning on Friday, the embassy said in a notice on Thursday.
"The Israel-Iran conflict continues to intensify, with increasing casualties; the possibility of further deterioration cannot be ruled out," the embassy warned.