First Chartered Flight Evacuates U.S. Citizens from Israel to Greece

The inaugural chartered flight, facilitating the evacuation of U.S. citizens from conflict-ridden Israel, successfully touched down in Greece, according to a confirmation from a State Department official.

Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the State Department, relayed this development, stating that the first chartered flight had safely arrived in Athens. In his announcement, Miller emphasized that while numerous U.S. citizens have been departing Israel through commercial means, the State Department has initiated charter flights to augment the available options and enhance evacuation capacity. He expressed gratitude to everyone involved in making this endeavor a reality and affirmed the commitment to ongoing efforts.

The news of charter flights for American citizens in Israel was initially disclosed by White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby the day before.

Kirby underscored the U.S. government's awareness of the constraints on commercial flights departing from Israel and the desire of American citizens to leave. He conveyed that the President had directed his team to facilitate the departure of U.S. citizens from Israel while ensuring their safety. As a result, the United States government is arranging charter flights to transport individuals from Israel to various European destinations, with the operations commencing the following day. Kirby also mentioned that alternative transportation options, both by land and sea, were under exploration by the U.S. government.