TAMPA, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis made an early morning stop at Tampa International Airport on Friday to welcome the latest batch of thankful American evacuees from Israel.
The governor has chartered at least four flights to rescue trapped Americans, as Israel's conflict with Iran continues to intensify.
The flight landed in Tampa around 5 a.m.
WATCH: With state of Florida's help, more evacuees from Israel head to Tampa
The Florida Division of Emergency Management and Grey Bull Rescue Foundation are assisting in the rescue effort, as is Sen. Jay Collins, who represents much of Tampa in the Florida Senate.
“I know unequivocally this is the right thing to do," said Sen. Collins (R-Hillsborough).
Collins is currently on the ground in Amman, Jordan, where he's helping with the mission to get Americans home.
“These are moms and dads — people who are just like, ‘Look, I gotta get out of here and get back to my family, and get safe and secure in America,'" he said.
For Collins, the state’s involvement isn’t about politics but people, and there are thousands to rescue. Collins estimates more than 5,000 are still looking to be evacuated, and that will require more flights and a lot more work.
“We’ll be going across the border into Israel, getting ready to prepare for another rescue mission," he said. "We’ll go out and locate people, see the routes, make sure everything still works the way we want it to.”
Project DYNAMO, based in Tampa along with Grey Bull, is also conducting rescue missions of its own.
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