DeSantis launches his own Israel flights to bring stranded Jewish Floridians back to US and slams Biden administration for its slow response

Governor Ron DeSantis launched mercy flights to bring stranded Jewish Floridians back to the US from war-torn Israel.

DeSantis signed an executive order today to launch the effort, which he said would benefit the “20,000” American citizens who remain in Israel while the conflict continues.

He hopes to charter jets from Israel to Europe, where citizens can then fly home safely.

In his reasoning for the order, DeSantis slammed the Biden administration for not launching its own rescue flights earlier.

The Biden administration finally announced its plan to bring Americans home this afternoon — days after other countries such as Bulgaria, Mexico, Germany and Thailand launched repatriation flights for their citizens.

DeSantis signed an executive order today launching the effort, which he said would benefit the ‘20,000’ US citizens who remain in Israel as the conflict continues

A woman welcomes children upon arrival at Frankfurt International Airport, Frankfurt am Main, West Germany on October 12, 2023, after a first flight by the German airline Lufthansa from Tel Aviv, Israel, repatriated German citizens, as a full-scale war has since broke out. Hamas militants launched their attack on Israel. The White House has not yet conducted any flights

Republican Congressman Cory Mills has already rescued 32 Americans stranded in Israel.

His office tells DailyMail.com he plans to return to bring more home.

“Floridians stranded in Israel are asking for help from the Executive Office of the Governor and from nearly every member of Florida’s congressional delegation because they are not receiving timely help from the US Embassy in Israel and no follow-up after contacting the US Department of of Foreign Affairs’ Smart Traveler Enrollment Program,’ DeSantis raged in his letter.

His efforts on Wednesday came as the White House continued to consider its plan to get any stranded Americans out.

Rep. Cory Mills today evacuated 32 Americans from Israel after they flew to the region overnight

It is unclear if Mills and the group are back in the US now or if he is planning any more trips

Mills, shown on a bus with some of the group, is a vocal critic of the Biden administration

At a briefing this afternoon, John Kirby, Strategic Communications at the National Security Council, said there had been “active discussions” about how to bring Americans and dual citizens home, but no specifics had been decided.

‘We are in active contact with US citizens in Israel, many of them dual nationalities… there are still commercial carriers flying in and out and there are viable ground routes.

“None of these options are necessarily feasible or affordable, so we’re exploring a range of other options to help if Americans want to leave, I’m just not at liberty to go into that.”

John Kirby, Strategic Communications at the National Security Council, said during a briefing this afternoon that there had been ‘active discussions’ about how to bring Americans and dual citizens home, but no specifics had been decided.

Mills previously rescued Americans from Kabul during the disastrous withdrawal of US troops in September 2021

The exact number of Americans or dual citizens living in Israel remains unconfirmed by the State Department.

So far, 22 Americans have been killed and 17 remain missing, including a small number feared to be taken hostage by Hamas.

The White House has not yet decided whether it will negotiate with Hamas to secure their release.

There is still no evidence of life for those taken.

Among the unknowns are dual citizens, including young Israeli-American teenagers fighting in the IDF.

The casualties include husband and wife Deborah and Shlomi Mathias, who were shot dead in front of their son, Rotem, on Saturday.

Rotem (16) survived by playing dead. Today he told of the horror he witnessed.

A dead body lies on the ground after a mass infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Kibbutz Beeri in southern Israel, October 11, 2023