TALLAHASSEE—Gov. Ron DeSantis arranged for four planes to evacuate to Tampa 1,500 young Jewish-Americans taking shelter in Cyprus, prompted by the burgeoning—and bloodying—six-day airstrike war between Israel and Iran.
The 1,500 participants of a Birthright Israel trip fled to Lanarca, Cyprus from Israel on a 13-hour journey aboard the Crown Iris cruise ship on Tuesday, shielded by the Israeli Navy, The Jerusalem Post reported. The group is expected to board four wide-body jets arranged by DeSantis and arrive in Tampa on Wednesday.
The rapid evacuation comes as various non-profits, state lawmakers, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management rush to pull Americans out of Israel as tensions escalate with Iran.
“This was a complex and emotional operation, carried out under immense pressure, and we are proud to have brought 1,500 young adults safely to Cyprus," said Gidi Mark, CEO of Birthright Israel, which offers free ten-day heritage trips to Israel for young Jewish adults between 18 and 26.
Birthright Israel said it would pay for the participants' transportation costs, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
This is not the first time DeSantis has deployed overseas resources.
After Oct. 7, 2023, when the militant group Hamas ambushed, murdered, and kidnapped scores of Israelis, DeSantis approved flights to Israel that brought nearly 300 Americans back to the U.S.
DeSantis later chartered flights to Haiti, when the Caribbean nation battled prison breaks and rampant gang violence, evacuating nearly 200 Americans back to the mainland U.S.
Florida Sen. Jay Collins is in Israel to help with evacuation efforts, he announced earlier this week.
Israel and Iran have been locked in a six-day war rife with bombings and targeted killings as President Donald Trump weighs formally joining Israel's efforts to destroy Iranian nuclear sites. Israel launched a surprise attack on Thursday, wiping out military generals and nuclear scientists in a covert operation.
Iran has since bombed Tel Aviv.
At least 224 Iranians have been killed, and another 1,277 hospitalized. Israel has reported 24 deaths.
