Assistance Concerning the Emergency in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza

Assistance Concerning the Emergency in the Middle East

Maintaining the safety and security of Americans currently affected by the crisis in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza is of the utmost importance. As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism Subcommittee, I'm committed to making sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself, and that innocent civilians – including children – inside Gaza are protected from harm.

My staff and I are in regular communication with the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and other government agencies and we will continue to closely monitor developments on the ground.

Amid these difficult circumstances, we realize that there may be many Americans currently in Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Lebanon, including those who call Connecticut home, who are in need of accurate and up-to-date information about how to stay safe and get in contact with the U.S. Embassy. My team has compiled relevant guidance from the State Department to assist Americans in the region and answer their questions in emergency situations. I encourage you to share these with any family and friends that are traveling in Israel, the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon or who have questions about the current situation.

NEW: The U.S. Embassy continues to provide assistance to U.S. citizens in the West Bank. U.S. citizens who need an emergency passport but cannot make it to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem or Branch Office in Tel Aviv or who would like to request Embassy assistance to depart the West Bank should complete the appropriate form, or call 1-833-890-9595 (toll free), +1-606-641-0131, 03-519-7426 (local number).
NEW: The State Department is recommending U.S. citizens in Lebanon leave now while commercial flights remain available, due to the unpredictable security situation. Available flight options for Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport can be found here. The State Department has also authorized the departure of U.S. Government family members and some non-emergency personnel on a case-by-case basis. Citizens who choose not to depart are urged to devise contingency plans for emergency situations. The U.S. Embassy in Beirut is exclusively providing emergency citizen services at this time and has suspended all visa processing. You can find more details related to the State Department’s updated Lebanon security alert here.
Commercial flights out of Israel are also still available. You may check status of those flights here.
The Department of State has a 24/7 coordinating group communicating with U.S. citizens and providing them assistance through phone calls and an online form. U.S. citizens seeking to be in touch with the U.S. Embassy in Israel can fill out this online form or call 1-833-890-9595 or 1-606-641-0131.
For the latest updates from the Department of State, please monitor the messages to U.S. citizens from the U.S. Embassy in Israel here.
The State Department has asked that any U.S. citizens traveling to impacted countries enroll their contact information in our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which you can complete here. Enrolling in STEP allows you to receive important information about safety conditions, assists the Embassy, family, and friends to contact you during an emergency.
The State Department is continuously updating their international travel advisory for the region. Updates for Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza can be found here. Updates for Lebanon can be found here.
In addition to the resources provided above, my dedicated constituent services team is standing by to assist with any inquiries, including questions about consular services and visas. To submit a request to our casework team, please complete and submit the help with a federal agency form.

In May, the Biden Administration released a first-of-its-kind U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, outlining a whole of society approach to tackling the scourge of antisemitism in America. You can find more information about action that government agencies are taking to counter antisemitism, as well as over 100 calls to action for Congress, State and local governments, companies, technology platforms, students, teachers and academics, civil society and faith leaders, and others HERE.

On November 1, the Biden Administration announced the development of the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia in the United States, to counter the scourge of Islamophobia and hate in all its forms. You can find more information about the strategy HERE.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my offices in Hartford or in Washington, DC.

You can reach my Hartford office at (860) 549-8463.

You can reach my D.C. office at (202) 224-4041.