ORLANDO, Fla. – One month after Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, an Orlando couple wants to know why the U.S. Embassy did not do more to help them leave the danger zone.
Omayra Huerta and her husband traveled to Tel Aviv to celebrate their wedding anniversary on Oct. 7.
Soon after a swim in the Dead Sea and a visit to Jerusalem, things changed fast.
“Around 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning, my husband started hearing these loud noises,” Huerta said.
Hamas had started firing rockets into Israel, and Huerta said she immediately turned to the U.S. Embassy, which sat right across the street from their hotel.
“We called, we went there, but the offices were closed for Chabat,” she said. “Nobody was answering the phones, so I went to the website.”
That is where she said she filled out an online form asking what she and her husband should do.
They headed to the airport, while they waited for a response.
“We heard the boom of the rockets, and you could feel everything shaking,” she said. “(It was) super, very terrifying. I never thought I was going to be involved or even close to any situation like that. All I could think about was my kids, you know? I’m not going to see my kids again.”
The U.S. Embassy in Israel posted alerts on their website saying, “We are closely monitoring the situation,” “Embassy personnel were sheltering in place,” and “U.S. citizens in Israel who need assistance should contact the closest U.S. Embassy.”
Huerta said she did not get a response from the Embassy until 17 days later after they had returned to Orlando.
“I needed help the day before, not 17 days after,” Huerta said.
News 6 investigated and found the U.S. Department of State urges international travelers to be prepared for a possible crisis.
Preparations they recommend include knowing more than one way to get to safety, following local authorities’ warnings and evacuation orders and contacting the local U.S. Embassy for emergency help.
Huerta said she did all of that.
“Knowing when this happened they were not there – it was hurtful,” she said.
News 6 contacted the State Department and asked them why it took 17 days to respond to the emergency email. They have not responded.
In the meantime, the Embassy has arranged for planes and ships to evacuate the Americans who want to leave the region.
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