Ron DeSantis welcomes home 270 Americans who were trapped in Israel

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis went with his wife, Casey DeSantis, to Tampa International Airport to welcome home 270 Americans who were trapped in Israel in the midst of the attack and massacre carried out by Hamas terrorists.

The almost 300 citizens were flown from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Tampa, Fla. Likewise, seven other evacuees landed at Orlando International Airport. According to the governor:

We're here at Tampa airport. We are having our first flight of people being rescued from Israel, and it's landed -- over 260 people that wanted to get back to the United States and couldn't do it. There was a devoid of leadership, so we stepped up and led. We're happy to be able to deliver this.

We are getting ready to welcome hundreds of people who were stuck in Israel back to the United States of America. pic.twitter.com/4gYyDI09DK

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 16, 2023

Bryan Stern, executive director of Project Dynamo, an organization associated with the Florida government that provided support in the rescue plan, revealed that there were 91 children and four dogs among the evacuees and added that it was a "complicated" operation. He did not reveal further details about whether more rescue trips would be made.

More than 20,000 U.S. citizens have requested help leaving Gaza and Israel, according to the State Department.