From the Liveblog of
Thursday, November 9, 2023
DeSantis: There could have been more hostages had I not helped evacuate people from Israel
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Speaking during the Republican presidential debate, Florida Governor Ron DSsantis claims that there would have been more hostages in Gaza had he not scrambled state resources to help evacuate 700 people.
“We had Floridians that were over there after the attack. [US President Joe Biden] left them stranded. They couldn’t get flights out. I scrambled resources in Florida. I sent planes over to Israel, and I brought back over 700 people to safety. There could’ve been more hostages had we not acted,” DeSantis says. “We acted, and we saved lives.”
No one was kidnapped into Gaza after October 7, though, so it’s unclear why DeSantis says that the charter flights he helped organized prevented additional hostages from being taken into Gaza.
The Biden administration also organized charter planes and ships of its own to help evacuate American citizens after the war broke out.
GOV. RON DESANTIS ON ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR: "I actually did something about it […] I sent planes over to Israel, and I brought back over 700 people to safety. There could've been more hostages had we not acted."
"We acted, and we saved lives." pic.twitter.com/d0XqUnBnLb
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) November 9, 2023
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