Thousands of Americans stranded in Israel evacuated by cruise ship

Thousands of Americans fleeing the war in Israel raced to board a cruise ship Monday that would take them to neighboring Cyprus.  

The US embassy in Israel announced the evacuation plan Sunday, offering the 2,500 Americans and their immediate family members still remaining in Israel a chance to leave by sea.

The move comes as the Israeli military was preparing for an all-out ground assault of Gaza in retaliation for last week’s deadly attacks by Hamas that killed at least 1,400 people, including at least 29 Americans.

The cruise ship line Royal Caribbean stepped in to help after commercial airlines mostly stopped flying into Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport, making it extremely difficult to get out of the country.

US citizens, among them babies and young children, desperate to flee the escalating hostilities in the region headed to the port city of Haifa in the early morning hours, hoping to score a seat on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Rhapsody of the Seas that would whisk them to safety.

Boarding got underway at 8 a.m. local time and was available on a first-come, first-served basis, according to embassy officials.

Evacuee Idella Schatzberg was leaving for Cyprus with her two tots in tow. Her husband was staying behind for the time being, but hoping to rejoin the family in Dallas by Wednesday, she told ABC News.

“I’m constantly on edge, and I can’t do that to my kids,” said the mom-of-two. “I can’t let them live like this.”

The passage from Haifa to Limassol Port in Cyprus was expected to take between 10-12 hours, with food and Internet service being available to passengers on board.

In Cyprus, American evacuees will be able to board commercial flights to take them the rest of the way home.

The U.S. State Department said that in addition to the ship, chartered flights from Israel will be available for American citizens on Monday and Tuesday.