Foreign Office updates Israel travel advice to red alert
Britain has advised against all travel to Israel due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, which has included deadly strikes.
The Foreign Office updated its travel advice to a red alert to reflect the increased danger, putting Israel on the same level as Iran, where all travel is advised against.
Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport is closed until further notice, effectively cutting off international air travel, and airlines have halted flights to and from Tel Aviv.
Iran has warned it would target US, UK, or French bases in the region if they shot down missiles heading for Israel, amid continued missile strikes between the two countries.
Major carriers, including El Al, Lufthansa, Swiss, Air France, KLM, Delta, and United Airlines, have suspended flights to Tel Aviv, with some suspensions lasting until October.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Thousands of Brits trapped in Israel as flights out of the danger zone blocked
THOUSANDS of Britons were trapped in Israel last night as flights out of the danger zone were blocked. Military chiefs have shut down the airspace until June 30 while attacks continue. 6 6 6 PM Sir Keir Starmer was under pressure to launch a mass evacuation as Iranian ballistic missiles have killed 14 and injured 200 since Friday. Ministers refused to be drawn on whether contingency plans were being drawn up to remove 44,000 UK citizens. The Foreign Office put Israel on the 'red list', advising against all travel. Holidaymaker James Eden, 72, travelled to Jerusalem on a six-day Christian pilgrimage — but said he was stranded last night. The grandad, from Newcastle, is hoping to take a four-hour bus through the Negev desert and then cross to Egypt before flying home. Mr Eden said of the Foreign Office: 'All they do is send alerts. "They're not going to stop me — but they're not going to help me get out of Egypt either.' No10 last night said: 'We are monitoring the situation closely and keeping all contingency plans under constant review. "The safety and security of British nationals is our top priority. 'We now advise against all travel to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.' 6 6 6
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Thousands of Brits trapped in Middle East war zone: Israel admits evacuation flights are impossible while bombardment of Iranian missiles and drones continues
Tens of thousands of British citizens were trapped in a war zone tonight as officials admitted an evacuation from Israel is currently impossible. The Foreign Office yesterday issued an urgent warning against all travel to Israel following two nights of bombardment by deadly Iranian missiles and drones. Officials have dusted off previous contingency plans for an airborne evacuation of British nationals from Israel. But insiders tonight admitted it was impossible to put in place while Israel's airspace remains closed to all civilian flights. The government does not hold up to date information on the number of Brits living in Israel, but reports suggest it could be as many as 60,000. Foreign Secretary David Lammy yesterday said the safety of British nationals in the region 'remains our top priority'. New Foreign Office guidance yesterday advised against all travel to Israel and urged those stranded there to follow local advice and stay away from missile debris. 'We recognise this is a fast-moving situation that poses significant risks,' it said. 'The situation has the potential to deteriorate further, quickly and without warning.' The Foreign Office warned anyone looking to flee the country that Israeli airspace 'remains closed' and that the conflict with Iran 'may disrupt road links'. A British grandfather stranded in Jerusalem yesterday said he was weighing up a bus escape through the Negev desert to flee Iranian missile fire after the Foreign Office said there was little they could do for him. James Eden, 72, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, flew to Israel last Monday for a six-day Christian pilgrimage. But he now finds himself trapped in a city on a war footing, with missiles flying overhead and outbound flights suspended. Mr Eden said: 'The Foreign Office rang me and said there wasn't a lot they could do. 'They can't put on any planes because the airspace is shut - all they can do is send out alerts and keep track of us.' When the grandfather-of-four asked about crossing the border, officials told him he could travel to Egypt at his own risk. The journey would mean a four-hour bus ride through the Negev desert to Eilat, before crossing into Egypt and trying to fly home from Sharm El Sheikh. 'They said if I care to, I can,' he said. 'They're not going to stop me - but they're not going to help me get out of Egypt either. 'I've done that route before, 20 years ago, so I know it. But once you step into Egypt, who knows what happens then? It's a risk.' Mr Eden, who is travelling with a friend, said he had been forced to take shelter in a stairwell when air raid sirens warned of incoming missiles in the middle of the night. A Foreign Office spokesman said officials 'stand ready to support British nationals 24/7'. Whitehall officials drew up plans for an evacuation of British nationals last summer amid heightened regional tensions over the country's military operation in Gaza. But the plan focused on using chartered flights which cannot currently land in Israel. Israel has been the subject of heightened travel advice since the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas. The Foreign Office has advised against non-essential travel to most parts of the country for much of the intervening period. This was upgraded to advise against all travel to parts of the country on Saturday, with the red alert extended to cover the whole country yesterday. The Foreign Office is also advising against all travel to Iran.
Reuters
5 hours ago
- Reuters
Tourists stranded in Israel as sirens sound, missiles fly, planes grounded
JERUSALEM, June 15 (Reuters) - Woken by air raid sirens, hurrying to bomb shelters, scouring travel sites for escape routes — thousands of tourists in Israel have found their holiday plans upended by the country's conflict with Iran. Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran in the early hours of Friday, shutting down the national airspace and telling people to remain where they were as the arch Middle East foes traded deadly blows. The violence has left around 40,000 tourists blocked in Israel, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Airlines are cancelling flights until further notice, leaving travellers to decide whether to wait it out or seek costly detours through neighbouring countries. Justin Joyner, from California, is on holiday in Jerusalem with his father John, who lives in Nevada, and his son. They had expected some possible disruption, with Israel locked in a months-long conflict against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. But, like most locals, they did not foresee a whole new war. "We didn't expect Israel to attack Iran. That is a completely different level of escalation," Joyner said from his hotel in East Jerusalem, which, for the past two nights, has seen Iranian ballistic missiles flash overhead like a rain of meteorites. "It's unsettling to feel the shockwaves of intercepted missiles above you, and to take your family down to a bomb shelter. That's just something we don't think about in America," he said. Dr. Greer Glazer, who lives in Cleveland and was in Jerusalem for a nursing training program, faces a race down 10 flights of stairs in her hotel to reach the shelter when sirens sound -- as they have done regularly since Friday night. "I feel safe," she said, "but waking from a dead sleep and running to the safe room, that's been the hardest. My family is scared to death ... They think it's 24/7 destruction, but it's not like that." Glazer had been due to return home on June 29, but is looking to bring forward her departure. The easiest exit route is via land crossings into neighbouring Jordan and then a flight out of Amman airport which has been operating in daylight hours. Israeli media reported that the transgender U.S. influencer Caitlyn Jenner, who only flew into Israel on Thursday for Tel Aviv's since-canceled Gay Pride Parade, had left through Jordan. Hours earlier, she had been photographed drinking a glass of red wine in a bomb shelter. "What an incredible way it has been to celebrate Shabbat," she wrote on X. Not everyone is rushing to leave. Karen Tuhrim is visiting from London to see her daughter, who lives in Tel Aviv. "Within two days of being here, Israel attacked Iran. So now I'm stuck," she said. Unlike Jerusalem, Tel Aviv has taken direct hits from the Iranian missiles and Tuhrim has had to dip in and out of her hotel's shelter. But she said she felt safe and was happy to be near her daughter. "For me, personally, at the moment, I feel better being here than in London, watching it all on the news, knowing my daughter is here. So, for now, we're good." Israel's Ministry of Tourism has set up a round-the-clock virtual help desk in English and Hebrew for stranded travellers. But for anyone stuck here, all the museums are closed until further notice, entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem is barred to non-residents and many shops remain shuttered. "The streets and shops are empty," said Jerusalem resident Anwar Abu Lafi, who saw no quick end to the gloom. "People are yearning for a break, to find something good in this existing darkness. We are deluding ourselves into thinking that the future will be better," he said.
