Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Thursday a plan to rescue Floridians who are attempting to flee Israel amid the conflict with Hamas militants.
DeSantis’ announcement is part of an executive order he signed to respond to Hamas terrorists’ surprise attack on Israel on Saturday that left hundreds killed, maimed, and kidnapped, according to a copy of the order.
Initially, President Joe Biden instructed Americans seeking to leave Israel by booking their own commercial flights.
In the news: Florida Gov. DeSantis Slams Michigan Rep. Rashia Tlaib For Refusing To Condemn Hamas
The Biden administration announced plans to start coordinating evacuation charter flights beginning Friday.
The White House said Thursday that 27 Americans have died and that 14 others are still unaccounted for.
“Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Executive Order 23-208 (Emergency Management – Impacts of War in Israel). There are more than 20,000 Americans, including Floridians, in Israel who wish to return home but are unable to do so,” DeSantis said in a statement.
“This Executive Order allows the State of Florida to carry out logistical, rescue and evacuation operations to keep its residents safe. Specifically, this order enables the Florida Division of Emergency Management to bring Floridians home and transport necessary supplies to Israel,” DeSantis said.
Israel declared war on Hamas after Saturday’s attack and as the terrorist organization fired more than 5,000 rockets toward the Jewish state.
Florida Gov. DeSantis Says Left-Wing Pro-Hamas Protests Reveal “A Sickness In Our Society”
DeSantis denounced leftists in the United States for protesting in support of Hamas terrorists, who have murdered more than 1,200 Israelis since launching an attack on Saturday.
“These demonstrations … where they’re cheering Hamas, knowing that Hamas has decapitated babies, they’re executing elderly people, raping women. … I think that they scraped the bottom of the barrel of human depravity on this,” DeSantis told Newsmax host Rob Schmitt on Wednesday.
“And to take to the streets and celebrate that there’s a sickness in our society here.”
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For those in America who have praised Hamas, said DeSantis, “I just wonder why are you even in this country, if that’s your belief on some of that stuff.”
“It’s almost like they’re pouring salt in the wound by going out and celebrating these atrocities,” he added.
Continuing, DeSantis said Israel’s response should not be “proportionate,” as it has done to reply to past terrorist incidents.
“It should be the elimination of Hamas and the terrorist infrastructure that has grown up in Gaza,” he told Schmitt.
The Republican governor and presidential candidate noted that Palestinians have rejected Israel’s offer of creating their own country because all they will accept is the elimination of the Jewish state.
“This will be the final battle with Hamas,” DeSantis predicted.
In the news: Florida Gov. DeSantis Slams Michigan Rep. Rashia Tlaib For Refusing To Condemn Hamas
Regarding Biden’s response, DeSantis noted that the Democratic president could be more forceful with Iran, which sponsors Hamas.
DeSantis said Biden could claw back the $6 billion in Iranian assets that he unfroze earlier this year and could hit the ayatollahs with new, tougher sanctions on Iran’s oil industry.
Biden, at the moment, is saying the right things, DeSantis acknowledged.
But. he added, “You know his left flank is going to get very upset as time goes on, and I think his commitment is probably gonna start to wilt.”
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