- The UK is preparing a flight to transport vulnerable British nationals and their dependants out of Israel and the OPTs early next week.
- The UK government has today launched a flight registration form for British nationals to register their details and interest in the flight.
- Further flights will be considered depending on demand, and the latest security situation.
The Foreign Office has invited British Nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) to register their interest in a flight to help them depart.
All British Nationals who have already registered via the Register Your Presence portal will automatically be contacted and provided with a link to the booking portal. The FCDO is urging all those interested in flights back to the UK to register their presence now, if not done so already, so that they can receive details.
Those with greatest need will be prioritised for flights. British nationals plus their non-British immediate family members travelling with them are eligible. All passengers must hold a valid travel document. Non-British immediate family members will require valid visas/permission to enter or remain that was granted for more than six months.
The FCDO will contact those who are allocated a seat on the flight directly and British Nationals should not make their way to the airport unless they are contacted.
An FCDO spokesperson said
This is a perilous and volatile moment for the Middle East.
The safety of British Nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories continues to be our utmost priority – that’s why the UK government is preparing flights to help those wanting to leave.
Working closely with the Israeli authorities, our staff are continuing to work at pace to assist British Nationals on the ground and ensure they receive the support they need”.
Those eligible for the flights will be expected to pay for their seat – and payment will be taken on registration via the flight booking form. This fee will be refunded to those who are not allocated a seat. This is in line with our approach to previous charter flights from the region.
Commercial flights are continuing to operate from Egypt and Jordan, and international land border crossings to these countries remain open.
The situation remains volatile and the government’s ability to run flights out of Israel and the OPTs could change at short notice.