Husband of Blaze Media employee stranded in Israel

As Israel is at war due to Hamas' brutal attacks that have killed many, including children, Blaze Media's own Ashton DeGroot says that her husband and brother-in-law are among the American citizens currently stranded in Israel.

"He's already experienced rockets exploding overhead on multiple occasions," DeGroot said in a video posted on social media, adding that "we still have no answers as to when he can return home to me and our children."

DeGroot, who has three children, told Blaze News that her husband Joshua and his brother Caleb were on the trip abroad to do work related to a Messianic Jewish ministry.

She is desperately working to ensure that her husband can evacuate the country, but so far, she says the U.S. Embassy has not been any help. DeGroot told Blaze News that when she contacted the U.S. Embassy, she was asked if she had filled out paperwork. When she indicated that she had done the paperwork, the embassy then told her that they would call later.

She is pleading for anyone who has the power to act "to do something, please," she said.

"My husband, brother in law and their crew is from Fort Worth TX and is currently in Jerusalem," she wrote in a post on X. "Please help me make those in power aware that we need to BRING OUR PEOPLE HOME."

Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey has fired off a letter pressing President Joe Biden to take action to ensure that Americans are evacuated from the dangerous war zone.

"I urge you to use all appropriate U.S. resources and tools to arrange for the immediate evacuation of American citizens in Israel who are desperately trying to return home," Smith wrote in his letter, dated Oct. 9. "In the past thirty-six hours I have received many reports from constituents who are U.S. citizens currently in Israel, or whose relatives and friends are U.S. citizens currently in Israel, and who seek to return to the United States as soon as possible but are unable to do so."

Former GOP Rep. Mayra Flores of Texas, who is currently running in a Republican congressional primary in a bid to return to office, has noted that she has relatives stranded in Israel.

"Right now, I have family members stuck in Israel with no way of getting out. The Biden Administration has no plans to evacuate United States citizens from Israel. I am praying for their safety and evacuation—because apparently that’s all our country can do at this point," Flores tweeted.

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida has said that dozens of his constituents are stuck in Israel.

"50+ of my constituents remain in Israel at this hour and Americans are being held hostage. Where's the evacuation plan? It’s time to activate the Civil Reserve Air Fleet and get our people home," Donalds tweeted.

GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York is calling for the Biden administration to use military aircraft to evacuate Americans out of the Jewish state.

"Given the immediate challenges with getting US commercial airlines into Israel, it’s imperative that the administration use military planes to help get US citizens out of Israel as expeditiously as possible," Lawler tweeted. "In addition, we must take steps to indemnify the commercial airline carriers to get them flying back into Israel as quickly as possible — as it stands we are looking at November as the earliest time they will fly into Israel," he added.

"I am being told by multiple people in Congress right now that while they are inundated w/requests there is currently no known plan from the Biden admin to get Americans out of Israel. Few flights out are available & the American embassy is not operating...efficiently," Blaze Media editor in chief Matthew Peterson wrote in a post on X that has been retweeted by GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.

An American Ph.D. student at Tel Aviv University who preferred to remain anonymous told Blaze News, "We are now living in a country at war. Not a small operation like Israel has had in the past, of which I myself have gone through two. No, this is a full-scale war, complete with the most unimaginable atrocities committed by man. This is not just another conflict with Gaza, this is something completely new that Israel has not faced in many decades."

DeGroot's husband and brother-in-law have been posting updates online, and while they are currently stuck in Israel, both appear to be in good spirits.

Israel at War - Day 4 update #israelwar #hamasattack #gazaunderattackwww.youtube.com

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