As Operation Epic Fury enters its fourth day of attacks against Iran, Mike Huckabee, the United States ambassador to Israel, gave a message to Americans stranded in Israel, which is now enduring airstrikes from Iran.
On Tuesday morning, Huckabee released a video that was just under four minutes long with instructions for Americans on what to do amid the ongoing attacks.
‘The US embassy is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.’
Huckabee gave an outline of the “fairly limited” options for Americans seeking to leave Israel.
“What we are recommending to all of our American citizens, including our own embassy staff, is follow the directions of Home Front Command, which are right now to shelter in place and to be close to a shelter at all times,” Huckabee said. “Follow the alerts. If you hear the siren, make sure you take cover. That’s the best thing you can do.”
RELATED: US service member death toll continues to rise amid Operation Epic Fury
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
The Home Front Command is an arm of the Israel Defense Forces responsible for search-and-rescue missions in Israel and around the world, according to the HCF website.
Huckabee stressed that all Americans in Israel and the surrounding area should sign up for the State Department’s STEP program, which communicates necessary updates to U.S. citizens.
The ambassador to Israel added one other option, though there are obvious risks and uncertainties involved with it as well: “In addition, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism is providing bus service from several locations — Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem — to go to Taba, just across the border in Egypt, and from there, flights could be available from the Taba airport, though there are limited flights. But also ground transportation would be able to be obtained in Taba to go on to Cairo, where the airport is operating normally and efficiently.”
Ground transportation from Tel Aviv to Taba takes an estimated four hours of travel. It takes between six and 10 hours by bus from Taba to Cairo.
The U.S. embassy for Jerusalem echoed Huckabee’s instructions about finding an escape route while saying what Americans in the Middle East never wish to hear during an armed conflict in the region: “The U.S. embassy is not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a similar message on Monday night encouraging Americans to sign up for the STEP program for up-to-date situation notifications. Rubio also announced that the State Department, immediately after Operation Epic Fury commenced, “activated a 24/7 task force, surging personnel and resources necessary to help provide American citizens with up-to-the-minute safety and security information.”
The State Department issued a “worldwide caution” warning on February 28.
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