Gov. Kathy Hochul is pictured during her recent solidarity trip to Israel. Photo courtesy Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office

A group of state lawmakers wants the state to establish a fund to reimburse travel costs for New Yorkers trying to leave Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher, D-Brooklyn, has introduced A.8171 in the state Assembly while Sen. Julia Salazar, D-Brooklyn, is sponsoring a companion bill in the state Senate (S.7716). The bill ordinarily wouldn’t be taken up until the state Legislature begins its next session in January, though the legislation could advance to the floor if there is a special session before the end of the year.

The Emergency Safe Return of

U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents From Israel or Palestine Fund Act would amend the state Finance Law to add a new section creating the fund. It could then be used to ensure the safe return of U.S. citizens or permanent residents with bona fide residency in New York state as reimbursement for otherwise unreimbursed actual expenses incurred relating to travel out of Israel or Palestine. Reimbursement could include travel, lodging lost property, medical care or other related expenses the person was required to provide to the United States for their travel.

Many US citizens or permanent residents were in Israel or Palestine as tensions grew into war as all commercial air traffic was halted. The US government arranged for charter flights and/or ships to assist in helping US citizens or permanent residents leave Israel or Palestine and return to the US. Arrangements only provided transportation to locations nearby to Israel or Palestine without any arrangements for lodging or for transportation back to the United States. Additionally, the US government program required individuals stranded to agree to reimburse the US government for the cost of transportation.

“The purpose and justification for this bill is for New York State to financially assist New Yorkers who need to evacuate from Israel or Palestine during this crisis and to ensure that such individuals will be able to be fully reimbursed for any expenses incurred in such evacuation,” Gallagher and Salazar wrote in their legislative justification.

A spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul told The Associated Press last week that the governor’s office didn’t know exactly how many New Yorkers were stuck in Palestine or Israel because of the conflict. A nonprofit organization was supposed to pay for the trip, but it turns out taxpayers will pay. The state also paid for the cost of her security detail.

“I specifically spoke to President Herzog, and showed him a picture of Omer Neutra, whose parents I met at a rally in New York City,” Hochul said after her recent trip to Israel. ” I saw his aunt and uncle and cousin here in Israel, and spoke about the other ones who had a connection to New York, about the need to bring them home safely. I spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu about our support for Israel, but also reinforcing President Biden’s desire, request that there be a flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza to make sure that there’s no further loss of innocent life there either.”

The Hamas-run Health Ministry said Monday that at least 5,087 Palestinians have been killed and 15,270 wounded. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage into southern Israel. In addition, 222 people including foreigners were believed captured by Hamas during the incursion and taken into Gaza, Israel’s military has said.

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the total number of rocket and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria has risen to 27, including 6 small scale attacks that have taken place since U.S. warplanes struck weapons storage areas for Iranian-backed militias in Syria last week.

In total there have been 16 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and 11 in Syria.

In addition, Ryder said the Pentagon is sending an additional 300 troops to the Middle East who specialize in explosive ordinance disposal and communications. Those forces will be there to bolster U.S. troops already in the region, Ryder said.

The United Nations chief says he’s “deeply alarmed” at the intensifying conflict in Gaza and escalating civilian casualties, demanding that Israel and Hamas abide by international humanitarian law which makes protecting civilians paramount. In a statement Tuesday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres singled out “the expansion of ground operations by the Israel Defense Forces accompanied by intense air strikes, and the continued rocket fire towards Israel from Gaza.”

He expressed deep concern at the risk of a “dangerous escalation” beyond Gaza and called the level of aid getting into the Palestinian territory “completely inadequate.”

– The Associated Press contributed to this report