American students and tourist groups in Israel are awaiting evacuation amid missile strikes from Iran

As Israel and Iran continued to strike the trading missiles on Wednesday, some American citizens began to develop plans to evacuate Israel – and for many young people in tours or study, it was sweet and bitter.

Some, like the young University of Michigan Julia Cohen, arrived in May with hundreds of other university students to participate in Update onwards The program, which provides internal training and fellowships in Israel for people of Jewish origin. She was dreaming of studying in Israel for years, and after a lot of attention, her parents decided to support their daughter’s decision in April.

Cohen recently found that she resides in a hotel in southern Israel after nights of Iran and Israel exchanging MissilesHer mother told CBS News from New York.

“They were running back and forth to bomb the shelters in Tel Aviv,” said Marney Cohen, who booked return trips to her daughter to Barcelona, ​​and then to the United States.

As of Wednesday, at least 24 people were killed by Iranian missiles, which fell through the powerful air defenses of Israel, according to Israeli officials. On Tuesday, human rights activists in the United States of Iran, which depends on a network of communications in the country, said on Tuesday that it has documented at least 452 deaths in Iran since Israel has launched its attacks.

President Trump He said On Wednesday, it has not yet decided whether the US military will join Israel’s ongoing attacks on Iran. The sources told Mr. Trump CBS News consent Plans of the attack on the country, but a final decision to strike has not yet been taken.

The American embassy in Israel announced on Wednesday that it is working on it Collecting evacuation trips and cruise ships For American citizens who want to leave the country, but the Foreign Ministry later said it was “no announcement about helping American citizens to leave at this time.”

Marney Cohen said that Israel’s airspace was closed, the newborns moved to between 300-400 students from Tel Aviv, and parents began exploring alternatives to get their children out of the country. It is not clear that the number of students is currently in Israel.

Birth goals To bring 50,000 Jewish adults, part of which attend the program to Israel every year. CBS News contacted Ristright to comment on how to help American citizens in their current trips in Israel, but she did not receive responses before publishing.

Cohen said her colleague in the room went out across Jordan, took a car to the capital of Amman and flies from there to the United States. Other students took a boat to the nearby Cyprus and were waiting for flights there. However, Marney Cohen said, although her daughter was aware of the danger, but she did not want to leave.

Lauren Field arrived in Israel from Connecticut on the day before the start of the conflict – and a few days before the United States raising Travel warning In order for Israel to reach level 4, the highest level-to visit its 20-year-old son studying in Tel Aviv. She, her husband, son, and daughter in adolescence were waiting in southern Israel to evacuate.

Her family joined Smart traveler registration program (step) He was awaiting hearing the following steps in the evacuation plans of the United States government. She said she has not yet heard from the federal government, but is in contact with local legislators and non -profit organizations.

She said that her son had mixed feelings about leaving Israel.

Field, who visited Israel once before 1990, said even with uncertainty that everyone and her family felt somewhat safe.

“We have met wonderful and wonderful people and we feel we are more associated with than we have,” Field said.