Tens of thousands of Brits are trapped in Israel as officials say there is “not a lot” they can do at the moment. This comes after the UK Foreign Office advised against all travel to Israel amid the ongoing clashes with Iran. The Government updated its guidance on Sunday. The advice reads: “The FCDO currently advises against all travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”
Amid the ongoing conflict between the two countries, all travel to Israel has now been advised against after Iran launched multiple rounds of missile and drone attacks, with Israel declaring a nationwide state of emergency on June 13. Israeli airspace remains closed, which is making airborne evacuation of British nationals nearly impossible.
Reports suggest as many as 60,000 Brits live in Israel, although there is up-to-date government data to confirm this.
One British national currently in Jerusalem is grandfather James Eden, 72, from Newcastle, who travelled to Israel last Monday for a Christtian pilgrimage.
“The Foreign Office rang me and said there wasn’t a lot they could do,” he told the Daily Mail. “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.”
Mr Eden is now weighing up travel via a four-hour bus journey through the Negev desert to cross the border into Egypt.
The grandfather claimed the Foreign Office told him “If I care to, I can.” He added: “They’re not going to stop me – but they’re not going to help me get out of Egypt either.”
Travel advice on the Foreign Office website currently reads: “We recognise this is a fast-moving situation that poses significant risks. The situation has the potential to deteriorate further, quickly and without warning. The current situation has disrupted air links out of the country and may disrupt road links.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the safety of British nationals in the region “remains our top priority”. The Foreign Office is also advising against all travel to Iran amid the conflict.
The Daily Express has contacted the Foreign Office for comment.