US Embassy Issues Urgent Warning for American Citizens in Gaza to Move South

Palestinians evacuate a neighborhood in Gaza City on Oct. 11, 2023. (Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. Embassy in Israel on Sunday issued a security alert telling Americans to immediately evacuate south if they are in Gaza ahead of an anticipated Israeli ground action in the Hamas-controlled region.

“U.S. citizens who can do so safely are advised to move to southern Gaza, south of Gaza Valley towards Khan Younis now,” the U.S. Embassy stated on Sunday morning. “We are working on potential options for departure from Gaza for U.S. citizens.”

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday said that no American citizens have been able to leave Gaza as Israel has carried out a number of airstrikes on the territory since the Hamas group’s attack last week.

“So far, we have not been able to get American citizens through the border crossing, and I’m not aware of anyone else being able to get out at this time, though I cannot fully confirm that because it’s a dynamic situation,” Mr. Sullivan said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

The United States is “trying to create the circumstances where American citizens are in Gaza and are looking to lead to get into Egypt and ultimately to the United States or elsewhere, that they are able to so. We’re working on that as we speak,” he added.

On Friday, Israel ordered about 1 million Gaza residents to evacuate ahead of a potential ground operation carried out by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which has prompted unspecified warnings from Iran. The United Nations and some humanitarian groups said that it’s not possible to move that many people in such a short period of time.

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U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have reportedly tried to secure passage for some Palestinian-Americans through the Rafah crossing that connects Gaza with neighboring Egypt. Mr. Sullivan did not elaborate on discussions regarding the evacuation.

“I’m not going to get into our private conversations with the Israelis, but we are not interfering in their military planning or trying to give them instructions or requests specific to their military planning,” he told NBC.

The White House official also couldn’t confirm how many Americans may have been killed in the Israel airstrikes since last week.

“It has been difficult to execute that operation to facilitate their passage out. We are continuing to work that, and President Biden has put a team on it around the clock because it’s a high priority for us to be able to get American citizens out of Gaza,” Mr. Sullivan said.

It comes as Israeli Air Force chief Tomer Bar told media outlets that the military is making preparations for the Gaza ground invasion.

“We are preparing the front for the most effective maneuverability. We are removing as many threats as possible from the ground and the air. We will do what we need aggressively, so if it is decided to maneuver, we will allow for the best ground incursion that will allow the soldiers the freedom of movement,” Mr. Bar said Sunday, adding: “The Air Force will work shoulder to shoulder with the ground forces, it is fully enlisted for ground operations. Protecting the forces is our mission.”

Military Deployment

The United States deployed a second aircraft carrier group to the Middle East as part of a plan to boost the U.S.’s presence in the region amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, while more aircraft were confirmed to have been moved to the region on Sunday.

Pentagon Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed in a news release Saturday that he directed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to move to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. It’s the second U.S. aircraft carrier that was sent to the region in the past week, with the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group having been deployed just days after Hamas launched its surprise attack.

“As part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel, the Strike Group includes the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely (DDG 107) and USS Mason (DDG 87), and Carrier Air Wing 3, with nine aircraft squadrons, and embarked headquarters staffs,” he said.

Mr. Austin said the increase in the “force posture” shows that the U.S. has an “ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war.”

A day after his statement, the U.S. Air Forces Central Command confirmed on X, or Twitter, that more military aircraft were sent to the Middle East. That includes A-10 Warthogs with the Air Force’s 354th Fighter Squadron.

“This arrival bolsters the U.S. defense posture, enhances air operations throughout the Middle East, and reassures our allies and regional partners we remain postured to protect and defend their freedom,” it said on social media.