Florida Republican Cory Mills rescues 32 Americans in Israel while White House dithers about how to get stranded US citizens out

Florida Republican Cory Mills has rescued 32 Americans stranded in Israel as its fight against Hamas intensified. 

Today, photos of Mills, an Iraq veteran, emerged in which he was seen with a large group on a bus, leaving the war-torn country.

Mills told The Floridian that he flew overnight yesterday to get to the combat zone to help. He provided similar help in September 2021 during the disastrous withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. 

His exact location in Israel is unclear and it’s unknown if he has safely returned back to the US.

It’s unclear if Mills and the group are now back in the US or whether he plans more trips 

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

His efforts on Wednesday came as the White House pondered its plan for getting any stranded Americans out. 

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

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

‘Neither of those options may necessarily be feasible or affordable, so we are exploring a range of other options to assist if Americans want to leave, I’m just not at liberty to go into that.’ 

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

 Mills previously rescued Americans from Kabul during the disastrous withdrawal of American 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 who are feared to have been taken hostage by Hamas. 

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

There is yet to be any proof of life for those who have been taken.

Among the unaccounted for are dual citizens including young, Israeli-American teenagers who are 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 following a mass infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Kibbutz Beeri in southern Israel, October 11, 2023