Leer en espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/p>\nThose Israelis are now now getting their very first chance to return home since the start of the war with Iran. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very excited to go to my home, my children,\u201d said Ilamit Ben-Ami, who is visiting South Florida from Israel. <\/p>\n
The first flight for Tel Aviv from South Florida since the stoppage departed on Thursday morning from Miami International Airport. <\/p>\n
Previous flights were continuously cancelled due to ongoing missile and rocket attacks. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going home, we\u2019ve been there since \u201989,\u201d said Larry Hirsch. \u201cI\u2019m not scared, but I am a little nervous. Missiles are still flying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hirsch lives outside of Jerusalem. He came to Miami two weeks ago to visit family and was unable to return after his flight home was suddenly cancelled. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe were supposed to leave Sunday to get us back for the holiday on Monday night, and El Al just sent a WhatsApp message yesterday morning that you\u2019re on the flight,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
While they\u2019re now getting the chance to go home, thousands of Americans remain stuck in the Middle East with flights to the U.S. still not approved. <\/p>\n
Lee Aloni, who lives in Cooper City, is visiting family near Tel Aviv.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just waiting,\u201d she said. \u201cWe keep checking the U.S. Embassy online as much as we can, watching the news.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the start of the war, she says her family has been taking cover in their condo\u2019s bomb shelter as alerts sound.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing in the bomb shelter is a little unnerving,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re always on edge.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. State Department says it\u2019s working quickly to arrange charter and military flights to evacuate Americans.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, officials urged U.S. citizens in Israel, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to register online and be ready to leave on short notice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe the United States is going to do everything possible to bring us home,\u201d said Aloni. \u201cWe\u2019re just keeping our eyes and ears open all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfe0 News From Your Neighborhood<\/p>\n
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