Americans fleeing Israel fly to Tampa on flights chartered by DeSantis

Gov. Ron DeSantis chartered four jets to bring almost 1,500 Jewish Americans on a Birthright Israel trip home through Tampa International Airport as the country's conflict with Iran intensifies.
The American participants fled from Israel to Cyprus, an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea, via cruise ship. There, they were to board flights bound for Tampa, according to a statement from Birthright Israel, which funds trips to the country, largely for young Jewish adults.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management wrote on Facebook Sunday that it is 'actively coordinating efforts to assist Americans seeking evacuation from the hostile situation in Israel.'
Birthright Israel said it will pay for all its participants' transportation costs.
Two local nonprofits are helping rescue stranded Americans.
Sierra Dean, a spokesperson for the governor, urged other Americans stranded in Israel to fill out an emergency evacuation form from Grey Bull Rescue, a Tampa nonprofit that helps rescue citizens in conflict zones.
State Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, wrote on X Sunday that he was 'en route to Israel to assist the State of Florida and Grey Bull Rescue with evacuation efforts.'
Project Dynamo, another Tampa nonprofit, also has teams on the ground in Israel and Jordan to help evacuate Americans, according to Fox 13.
Ashley Pontius, a spokesperson for Grey Bull Rescue, said she'll announce when the first flights to Tampa are scheduled to arrive later today.
In October 2023, at the start of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, DeSantis' office said they had flown nearly 700 Americans from Israel to Florida. Then, a multi-agency resource center was established at Tampa International to coordinate state resources and nonprofit support, according to the Governor's Office.
A spokesperson for Tampa International referred a request for comment to the Florida Department of Transportation. The department did not respond in time for publication.

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