As many as 600 Americans remain in the Gaza Strip amid increasing violence following an attack on Israel, Breitbart reported. President Joe Biden's administration is in talks with Israel and Egypt about getting those who want to leave out of the war zone.
Some of those thought to be stranded include journalists, members of non-governmental organizations, and United Nations employees. "We have to carefully work with the two governments, and that’s part of what these discussions are about," a senior official told the media.
According to National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby, plans are already in place to transport the stranded Americans via charter flights. "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," Kirby said when asked about it.
"And I would add that we’re also exploring other options to expand the capacity of doing this, including exploring whether it’s possible to help Americans leave by land and by sea. So, again, we’re working hard on this; we know there’s a demand signal out there, and we’re going to try the best we can to meet it," Kirby added.
He directed stranded citizens to fill out a form at Travel.State.gov. There are already a number of missing and dead Americans following an attack perpetrated by Hamas against Israel and hat number could climb.
So far, at least 27 Americans are dead and 17 are missing, according to the Biden administration. The Israel Defense Forces are beginning to mount a counterattack, which makes the situation that much more urgent.
Last weekend, Hamas terrorists killed at least 1,300 Israelis and wounded another 3,300 in a surprise attack. The response from Israel has so far included cutting off electricity, fuel, and water to the Gaza Strip.
Both sides are aware that this is likely to continue into a full-fledged war. Hamas leaders are beginning to reserve ammunition and rockets, and 250,000 citizens have fled their homes in Gaza in preparation for war.
Unfortunately, Americans stranded in the region can't count on promises from the administration, considering what happened after President Joe Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. The president abruptly ordered the troops to be pulled out in a decision that put the country quickly back into the hands of the Taliban, ABC News reported.
During the chaotic last days in the country, an attack left 13 American service members dead and an untold number of American citizens stranded. To date, the administration has evacuated 900 of them.
However, more than two years later, it's still unclear how many Americans remain stranded. It's likely that those left behind are now prisoners of the Taliban.
"This tragedy was a self-inflicted wound that not only killed 13 U.S. service members but also killed 170 innocent civilians and injured 45 people in a massive suicide bombing attack," House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said in August. "Simply put, it was hell on Earth, and the saddest part is it all could've been prevented."
The Pentagon has maintained that the incident, which occurred at the airport in Kabul, was not preventable and would have compromised the mission. The families of the fallen don't buy it but have largely been ignored by the administration.
There was a time when being an American citizen abroad carried a certain level of protection. That trust has been broken after what happened in Afghanistan, and it's difficult to believe that Biden will do the right thing now.
