Mike Huckabee on Tuesday advised Americans to take buses from Israeli cities to Taba, then limited flights or ground transport to Cairo where the airport is operating normally, as West Asia flights remain restricted
The US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Tuesday advised American citizens in Israel who wish to leave the country to do so via Egypt, following a broader US directive urging all citizens in West Asia to immediately evacuate amid escalating tensions with Iran.
Watch my message to American citizens in Israel and be sure to register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive important security updates directly. >> https://t.co/8fk1kydTB2 pic.twitter.com/r4IV0WQFEk
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@USAmbIsrael) March 3, 2026
In a video message shared on social media, Huckabee said that the Israeli Tourism Ministry is operating bus services from Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem to Taba, just across the border in Egypt.
From Taba, he said, “limited” flights could be available from Taba International Airport, or travelers can continue by ground transport to Cairo, “where the airport is operating normally and efficiently,” except for flights to West Asia destinations.
“The options are fairly limited,” said Huckabee .
“The airport is closed, of course, and we don’t know when it will be open or how many flights [will be available.],” he added.
He cautioned against travel through Jordan, citing “some challenges that are being faced there, the sporadic ability of the airport to be open, and the limited hours of the Allenby Crossing to get into Jordan.”
Huckabee also urged US citizens to register with the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov to receive updates.
Estimates suggest there are at least 200,000 Americans currently in Israel.
“We hope that all of this will be over soon,” Huckabee said.
“But how grateful we are for an amazing country and a great president who has decided that after 47 years of the hostile actions against the United States from Iran, that we are joining together, not just with Israel, but now it appears the rest of the Middle East, in saying, ‘enough is enough’,” he added.
Earlier on Tuesday, the US Embassy in Jerusalem announced that it cannot evacuate American citizens from Israel as security conditions continue to deteriorate.
The embassy ordered all US government employees and their family members to shelter in place in and near their residences until further notice.
The US has not organised its own evacuation flights. Commercial air traffic across the region has been disrupted, with Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain closing their airspace.
Israel is not expected to reopen its airspace before next week, and the country’s main international hub, Ben Gurion Airport, remains closed.
With inputs from agencies
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