For those Americans who have managed to make it out of Israel, the return home has proven to be complicated.
Thousands of American citizens were leaving Israel’s Haifa Port for Cyprus Monday.
The U.S. government is only arraigning travel out of Israel. After that, passengers are on their own.
NBC Bay Area photojournalist Edwin Alvarado is among the Americans who made it out, but he hasn’t made it back to the states yet. As of Monday, he was in Colombia thanks to the Colombian air force, which picked him and other passengers up in Tel Aviv, transported them to Portugal, the Dominican Republic and finally Colombia, where Alvarado is originally from.
Alvarado said it was an excruciating wait to get out.
“Emotional for us when I get out and I see family members, families waiting for the loved ones,” he said. “It’s hard. It’s hard when you feel this fear of you can be killed any second.”
Other families were reunited in Tampa, where almost 300 Americans arrived stateside, including almost 100 children.
They were transported by nonprofit Project Dynamo, with the help of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The U.S. State Department is working with Delta, American and United in an effort to get people home or to safety.
A major route out has been opened through Egypt, where Americans and other foreigners are being allowed to cross the border from Gaza.
Up to 600 Americans remain in Gaza, according to the state department.
Source: NBC Bay Area