Hundreds of young Americans visiting Israel through “Birthright Israel” programs were evacuated by cruise ship to Cyprus after Iran launched ballistic missile strikes, prompting an urgent rescue operation backed by Florida officials, the New York Post reported.
Escorted by the Israeli navy, the cruise ship carried 1,500 passengers across the Mediterranean on a 10-hour journey to Cyprus. From there, four jets chartered by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis transported the Americans to Tampa.
There were nearly 2,800 people on the trips across Israel at the time of the attacks, the organization said, most of them young Americans visiting the Jewish state, often for the first time.
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