Florida Rep. Cory Mills flies to Israel to rescue 32 trapped Americans

Publish date: 2024-06-21

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Florida Rep. Cory Mills, an Iraq war veteran, helped rescue 32 Americans trapped in Israel after it came under attack from Hamas terrorists over the weekend, the lawmaker said.

The Republican told Fox News on Wednesday that he flew into the Jewish nation to help get the US citizens back home.

Mills, who served with the 82nd Airborne Division while deployed in Iraq, said he was unable to share more details about the rescue mission or its location due to operational concerns and constraints, the outlet reported.

He did tell the station that some of the Americans he led to safety had become stuck in areas of the country that now lack a “permissible environment” for a full escape.

The lawmaker decided to go to Israel himself after noticing the Biden administration had not announced any on-the-ground plans to bring US citizens home.

He did the same thing with trapped individuals in Afghanistan in 2021 after President Biden decided to withdraw from the country.

Florida Rep. Cory Mills, an Iraq war veteran, helped rescue 32 Americans trapped in Israel after it came under attack from Hamas terrorists over the weekend. X / Cory Mills
He did tell the station that some of the Americans he led to safety had become stuck in areas of the country that now lack a “permissible environment” for a full escape. X / Cory Mills

“I went in and was very thankful to be able to get — for the second time, by the way, I’ll just add — helping the Biden administration, who has failed to do their job,” Mills told Fox News.

Follow along with The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel

“[The] first time I did it was in 2021 where I conducted the very first successful rescue of Americans,” he said. “But here it is, the second time doing the Biden administration’s work because they had no plan.”

He also slammed Biden for not being more available to reporters during the intense battle between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Mills took a shot at President Biden, saying he went to Israel to help “the Biden administration, who has failed to do their job.” Samuel Corum/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
An Israeli soldier walks past a house destroyed by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri on Wednesday, Oct. 11. AP
The destruction of a building in Kibbutz Be’eri by Hamas terrorists after Israeli forces regained control of the area. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images

“I think it’s about time that the American people put a lid on the disastrous administration that continues to fail in their plan and strategy to be able to get Americans out or to take into account the foreign policy [situation] that they actually create that actually leads to these types of incidents,” Mills said.

Biden said Americans are likely among the people abducted by Hamas militants and 14 US citizens are among the dead.

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