After five days stranded in Israel due to the conflict between Tehran and Jerusalem, approximately 1,500 Birthright Israel participants are on their way home — via a luxury cruise ship from Israel’s Ashdod port to Larnaca, Cyprus. 

The Crown Iris, a Mano Maritime luxury cruise ship, carried just over half of the 2,800 participants yet to be repatriated. The majority of the participants are from the United States, according to a statement from Birthright Israel. Once in Cyprus, all U.S. participants will board four planes to Tampa, Fla., that were chartered by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis before returning to their respective cities. 

Birthright Israel will also coordinate travel arrangements for international participants. Arrangements for the participants still in Israel have not yet been finalized, but all transportation costs will be covered by Birthright Israel, the organization said.

“This was a complex and emotional operation, carried out under immense pressure, and we are proud to have brought 1,500 young adults safely to Cyprus. Our team continues to work around the clock to secure solutions for the remaining participants still in Israel,” Birthright Israel’s CEO Gidi Mark said in a statement.

A spokesperson for the organization, Noa Bauer, told eJewishPhilanthropy that the organization started working “around the clock” to find a way to get its participants out of the country from Friday morning after Israel launched its strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities.

“It’s a lot of people, a lot of logistics, a lot of security, a lot of Israeli authorities involved,” Bauer said.

Mark led the operation on the ground in Cyprus, meeting the participants when they arrived in Larnaca and coordinating their departure, according to the statement. 

“Today we witnessed the true spirit of Birthright Israel —not only as an educational journey, but as a global family committed to the safety and well-being of every participant,” said Mark. 

Bauer said that Birthright Israel participants were not required to leave Israel but were encouraged to do so for their own safety. 

“We are asking everyone to go home. Some people are signing a waiver [to stay], but we need to make sure that they have [access to a bomb shelter],” she said. 

Bauer said that several other Israel trip providers have asked Birthright Israel for assistance in getting their participants out of the country as well, and that the organization is willing to help where it can. 

“We have a lot of requests,” she said. “We are prioritizing Birthright [participants].”

The roughly 1,300 participants still in Israel have all been moved to hotels in areas that have been deemed “less risky,” Bauer said. 

“We are providing everything they need — emotional support, laundry, medicine,” she said. 

Birthright Israel has also brought in comedians, musicians, lecturers, people to lead meditation and other speakers to keep the participants entertained, Bauer added. 

While some participants are “more stressed” by the situation, Bauer said that there is a “real sense of resilience” among many of them.

Ed. note: This story was updated with additional information about the evacuation effort.