The U.S. State Department recently has categorized Israel as a Level 3 travel risk, which urges U.S. citizens to "reconsider" their travel and presence in the country "due to terrorism and civil unrest" in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel and Israel's current invasion of Gaza.
EdSource reports the Level 3 ranking and family concerns were enough for the University of California and the California State University systems to take action. Level 4, the worst potential ranking, is an outright travel ban.
UC's Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) reported that its students at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem have left Israeland are all safe. However, UC declined to say how many students were involved and where they are now. Mandatory travel insurance covered the evacuation expenses.
The students are now taking online or hybrid courses in connection with Hebrew University. Jennifer Monroe, UCEAP's Director of Marketing, Communications, and Engagement, said in an email to EdSource that her organization "continues to evaluate the safety and security conditions at the program location and region to determine if in-person programming can continue.”
