From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
US State Department is helping almost 500 Americans seeking to evacuate from Israel, official tells ToI
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
WASHINGTON — A US State Department official tells The Times of Israel that the department is currently in direct contact with nearly 500 American citizens to help evacuate them out of Israel.
“Hundreds of American citizens have left Israel since the start of the conflict. Over the last few days, the State Department has assisted over 130 American citizens depart Israel, with an additional 100 American citizens expected to depart today,” the official says in a statement.
American citizens needing assistance should call +1-202-501-4444 and register in the State Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for updates, the department says.
Yesterday, the US called on Americans to immediately leave over a dozen countries in the region, urging them to use commercial means to do, even though much of the airspace has been closed.
In addition US Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson says the US is “actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East.”
“We’ve been in direct contact with nearly 3,000 Americans abroad,” he says.
Yes, the State Department is actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East.
We've been in direct contact with nearly 3,000 Americans abroad. American citizens should call 1-202-501-4444 for assistance with… https://t.co/Fj9qcvljoC
— Dylan Johnson (@ASDylanJohnson) March 3, 2026
The Times of Israel Community.