British nationals trapped in Israel should make their own way to safety in nearby countries amid growing concerns over the conflict escalating further in the Middle East.
The Israeli military bombarded Iran with another airstrike on Monday, prompting further fears of further retaliation from the Iranian regime as the hostilities showed no sign of dying down.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged all Britons currently in Israel to register their presence with the UK Government in order to receive vital information on how to make their own way out of the country.
He said the Foreign Office is sending a “rapid response team” to Egypt to help British citizens make their way out of Israel through its southern border with its Egyptian neighbour, with border crossings being posted on the Foreign Office’s website.
Whitehall sources told The i Paper that evacuation flights out of Israel were “not an option” as both Israel and Iran have closed international airspace while airstrikes continue between the two countries.
It is also understood that evacuation by sea is not an option, despite the Royal Navy being prepared to rescue Britons from Lebanon in 2024.
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, 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 Brits living in Israel, Lammy said there are “hundreds of thousands of British nationals living in the region” as he warned that the conflict “poses real risks for the global economy”.
“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.”
Speaking at the G7 in Canada, Sir Keir Starmer said the conflict in the Middle East was “number one issue” at the summit.
“There’s shared concern about the risk of escalation, obviously shared concern about the nuclear program of Iran, but absolutely a focus on how we de-escalate this, and that will be a central focus as we go into the talks today,” he said.
“All of us are giving advice to our citizens. For British nationals in Israel, we’re giving advice today to register their presence, so there will be a portal for that.”
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Downing Street said it was sending “further military assets” to the Middle East to help support regional security.
“Further refueling aircraft have been deployed from UK bases, and additional fast jets will be deployed,” the Prime Minister’s spokesman said. “This is to provide contingency support throughout the Middle East should escalation continue. As we’ve previously said, the UK has not participated in military action in the defence of Israel in recent days.”
Downing Street refused to say whether it was made aware of Israel’s plans to assassinate Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, which was reportedly vetoed by US President Donald Trump, although it is unlikely Tel Aviv would have consulted the UK given the poor diplomatic relations between the two countries.
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