British citizens stuck in Israel should arrange their own travel to safer locations in neighboring nations due to increasing worries about their security. conflict will escalate further in the Middle East.
The The Israeli military conducted yet another airstrike against Iran on Monday. This has sparked concerns about potential additional reprisals from the Iranian government, as tensions continue to show no signs of easing.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy advised all British citizens who are presently in Israel to register with the UK government so they can get crucial updates about exiting the nation.
He mentioned that the Foreign Office was dispatching a "quick reaction unit" to Egypt to assist British nationals in leaving through the country’s southern border crossing points. The locations of these border crossings were published on the Foreign Office’s website.
Air or sea evacuation 'is not possible'
Whitehall sources told The i Paper The evacuation flights from Israel were "not feasible" since both Israel and Iran have shut down their international airspace during the ongoing exchanges of airstrikes between the two nations.
It is also clear that escaping by sea is not feasible. despite the Royal Navy being prepared to rescue Britons from Lebanon last year.
Updating the Commons on the Government’s work, Lammy said: “We are asking all British nationals in Israel to register their presence with the FCDO [Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office] so that we can share important information on the situation and leaving the country.”
He said the ability to support British nationals in Iran was restricted due to closed airspace, adding: “Israel and Iran have closed their airspace until further notice, and our ability therefore to provide support in Iran is extremely limited.
“British nationals in the region should closely monitor our travel advice for further updates.”
Lammy later said that due to the closed airspace there is “no way of leaving by commercial flight”, before adding: “But there are routes, particularly out of Jordan, and we will do all we can to facilitate that.”
Officials said that Britons seeking to make their way out of Israel should listen to local advice before making the journey, adding that the Foreign Office was not facilitating travel but ensuring British nationals have support when they have crossed into nearby countries.
G7 concern over escalation
While the Foreign Office does not track the number of Britons living in Israel, Lammy said there were “hundreds of thousands of British nationals living in the region” as he warned that the conflict “poses real risks for the global economy”.
He added: “As missiles rain down, Israel has a right to defend itself and its citizens, but our priority now is de-escalation. Our message to both Israel and Iran is clear, step back, show restraint, don’t get pulled ever deeper into a catastrophic conflict whose consequences nobody can control.”
At the G7 meeting in Canada, Sir Keir Starmer stated that the Middle Eastern conflict was "the top concern" during the summit.
"There are common worries regarding the potential for increased tensions, clearly including concerns over Iran's nuclear program. However, the main emphasis is definitely on figuring out ways to reduce these tensions, and this will be a key point during our discussions today," he stated.
Each one of us is offering guidance to our respective citizens. Regarding British nationals located in Israel, we are advising them today to sign up for registration, which will be accessible through a dedicated portal.
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The statement from Downing Street indicated that they were dispatching additional military resources to the Middle East with the aim of bolstering security in the region.
“The Prime Minister’s spokesperson stated that further aerial refueling assets have been dispatched from United Kingdom bases, with more fighter jets set for deployment as well. This move aims to offer contingent assistance across the Middle East if tensions persist. It aligns with our earlier statements where we clarified that the UK hasn’t engaged in any military operations defending Israel recently,” he added.
The Downing Street officials declined to comment on whether they were informed about Israel's intentions to target Iran's top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a plan supposedly blocked by U.S. President Donald Trump. It is improbable that Tel Aviv would have sought Britain’s input anyway, considering the strained diplomacy between the United Kingdom and Israel.