In a dramatic move to bring home Americans caught in the ongoing conflict in Israel, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis orchestrated the safe return of nearly 300 citizens from the war-torn region, as promised.
Arriving at Tampa International Airport on Sunday evening, the first flight of this mission was part of an initiative enabled by an executive order DeSantis signed last Thursday.
The Governor, along with his wife, Casey, and their three children greeted the evacuees, who included 91 children. “We are having our first flight of people being rescued from Israel has landed,” DeSantis said, noting a “void of leadership” in the Biden Administration that led him to act decisively and bring Americans home.
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Project Dynamo, led by its founder and CEO Bryan Stern, was commissioned to execute the rescue. Stern mentioned facing “plenty of obstacles,” including missile fire near the plane during takeoff from Israel.
The operation, humorously dubbed “DeSantis Airlines,” flew its first sortie through Portugal to land in Tampa around 7:45 p.m. on Sunday.
The evacuation comes in the wake of a sudden and unprecedented multi-front attack by Hamas terrorists originating from Gaza on Israel that began October 7. As the conflict continues, at least 29 Americans have been confirmed dead, with 15 missing and believed to be held hostage in Gaza.
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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan conceded that there is “no path so far to get U.S. citizens out of Gaza as the border with Israel remains sealed.”
Florida’s initiative is unique but not isolated. The Biden administration had already been exploring sea options and initiated charter flights from Tel Aviv to Athens, Greece.
The first State Department-organized charter flight took off last Friday, and additional flights are scheduled through at least Thursday, October 19. However, Republicans have criticized President Biden for not doing enough and for making Americans pay for their evacuation.
Beyond government efforts, Florida Rep. Cory Mills has also utilized his office’s resources to evacuate nearly 100 Americans, echoing bipartisan criticism of the Biden administration’s evacuation plans.
DeSantis‘ executive order states that the action was necessary as “more than 20,000 Americans, including Floridians in Israel who wish to return home but are unable to do so.”
Reports indicate severe human toll in the conflict. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), more than 1,400 Israelis have died, with Palestinian officials reporting a similar death toll. The exact number of wounded, missing, or hostages held by Hamas is yet unclear.
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Project Dynamo, a Tampa-based nonprofit formed two years ago to evacuate Americans from Afghanistan, is also working to rescue hostages held by Hamas and evacuate Americans trapped in Gaza.
The mission is vital as most airlines have halted services to and from Israel, leaving an estimated 20,000 U.S. citizens stranded in the beleaguered nation.
