Jerusalem, Israel - The United States has organized a ship to take Americans out of Israel to Cyprus on Monday, the US embassy said.

With Israel moving toward an invasion of the Gaza Strip, the ship will leave from the Israeli port of Haifa for Limassol, taking "US nationals and their immediate family members with a valid travel document," the US embassy said in a security alert on Sunday.

Tens of thousands of US passport holders currently live in Israel, and 29 are confirmed to have been killed in the Hamas attacks on October 7.

Another 15 are missing and believed to be among hostages held by Hamas since the initial attacks.

Joke of the Day Joke of the Night for December 9, 2024: The best jokes to laugh the day away

The US embassy did not say how many people would be taken on the ship but said, "Boarding will proceed in order of arrival and is on a space-limited basis."

Boarding on the ship would start at 8:00 AM on Monday. Each passenger will have to sign a document promising to repay the cost of the trip and will only be allowed to carry one suitcase.

It said that some chartered flights would be arranged from Cyprus for onward travel.