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The U.S. State Department authorized the departure of non-essential government personnel and their family members from Israel on Friday, citing safety risks, as U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee urged embassy staff who wish to leave to "do so TODAY."
"On February 27, 2026, the Department of State authorized the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members of U.S. government personnel from Mission Israel due to safety risks," the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said in an official statement.
Huckabee informed embassy staff in an email sent at 12:04 a.m. that the move "will likely result in high demand for airline seats today," The New York Times reported.
"Focus on getting a seat to anyplace from which you can then continue travel to DC, but the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of the country," Huckabee wrote.
The embassy warned that in response to security incidents and without advance notice, it may further restrict or prohibit U.S. government employees and their families from traveling to certain areas of Israel, the Old City of Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.
The State Department advised U.S. citizens to "consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available," cautioning that increased regional tensions can cause airlines to cancel or curtail flights into and out of Israel.
The travel advisory classified Israel as "reconsider travel" due to terrorism and civil unrest, and maintained "do not travel" designations for Gaza and areas near the Lebanese and Syrian borders.
The U.S. evacuation authorization comes as several countries have called on their citizens to leave or avoid traveling to the Middle East amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States.
Canada issued a warning Friday, urging all citizens to leave Iran, cautioning that commercial flight options may be limited.
Australia told dependents of Australian diplomats in Israel and Lebanon to leave both countries, citing a deteriorating security situation. It also offered voluntary departures to diplomats' dependents in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Qatar.
Finland, Serbia, Poland, Sweden, India, Greek Cyprus, Singapore, Germany and Brazil have also cautioned their citizens to avoid or leave the area in recent months.
Meanwhile, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is heading toward the Israeli coast after completing a four-day port stop at Souda Bay in Crete, Israeli broadcaster KAN reported.
The media report noted that the aircraft carrier's arrival came after 20 U.S. refueling aircraft landed in Israel on Thursday night.
The reports say the arrivals are part of a U.S. military buildup in the region, due to the possibility of a military strike against Iran.
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