US crafting plan for mass evacuations if Hamas war escalates

(JNS) - The United States is preparing for possible mass evacuations of its citizens from Israel and Lebanon should the war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza spark a regional conflagration.

Four U.S. officials familiar with the government's contingency planning told The Washington Post that Americans living in the two neighboring countries were of particular concern.

According to State Department estimates, around 600,000 U.S. citizens resided in Israel and another 86,000 were believed to be in Lebanon on Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, murdering more than 1,400 people, wounding more than 5...