As announced by the Foreign Secretary in the House of Commons, A
RAF flight to take vulnerable British nationals and their
dependents out of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
(OPTs) has departed this afternoon.
- The RAF flight to transport vulnerable British nationals and
their dependents out of Israel and the OPTs left today
- Further flights will be based on demand and the latest
security situation
- British nationals should continue to register their presence
in Israel and the OPTs to be contacted with further guidance on
potential further flights
Addressing the House of Commons today, the Foreign Secretary
announced the first RAF flight to help vulnerable British
nationals wanting to leave Israel and the OPTs has taken off this
afternoon (23 Jun) from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport.
The flight is for vulnerable British nationals plus their
immediate family members who are eligible to travel. All
passengers must hold a valid travel document and non-British
immediate family members require valid visas/permission to enter
or remain that was granted for more than six months.
The government has worked with partners in recent weeks to enable
this flight to operate, with further flights to be considered
depending on demand and the latest security situation on the
ground. British nationals in Israel and the OPTs urged to
continue to register their presence to be contacted with further
guidance on any future flights.
Foreign Secretary said:
“Throughout the crisis, the safety of British Nationals in the
region has been our top priority. That is why the UK Government
is working with the Israeli authorities to arrange RAF and
charter flights to help those wanting to leave.”
"Today's flight will bring British nationals and their dependents
safely back to the UK. While the situation in the Middle East
remains volatile, we are working around the clock to secure more
flights and bring more people home.”
Due to ongoing restrictions in Israeli airspace and the security
situation on the ground, the government used an RAF A-400M
aircraft for the flight from Tel Aviv to Cyprus – with passengers
due to transfer on to a civilian charter aircraft for the onwards
journey to the UK this afternoon.
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 – in line with the government's approach to
previous charter flights from the region.
UK Government officials have been working around the clock to
keep British nationals safe, with consular officers deployed to
the border in Jordan and extra consular support based near the
border in Egypt. These officials are on hand to provide advice on
onward travel to British nationals crossing and support to
vulnerable British nationals. FCDO Rapid Deployment Teams are
working across the region to bolster the support offered by
British Embassy officials.
British nationals should continue to register via the Register Your
Presence portal that will be used to confirm any
further details in due course.
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.
