The UK government is offering a flight early next week to help vulnerable British nationals and their dependants leave Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), amid ongoing
instability in the region.
A flight registration form has now been launched by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), allowing eligible individuals to register their interest. Further flights may be arranged depending on demand and the evolving security situation.
British nationals who have already signed up through the Register Your Presence portal will automatically receive a link to the booking system. The FCDO is urging others who have not yet registered to do so immediately in order to receive updates.
Priority will be given to those with the greatest need. British citizens and their immediate non-British family members travelling with them are eligible, provided all passengers hold valid travel documents. Non-British family members must have a visa or permission to stay in the UK for more than six months.
Only those who are directly contacted by the FCDO should proceed to the airport.
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”.
Passengers will be required to pay for their flight seat upon registration. Those not allocated a seat will receive a refund. This policy follows the same approach as previous UK-organised evacuation flights.
The FCDO also noted that commercial flights from Egypt and Jordan remain available, and international land borders to these countries are currently open. However, due to the unpredictable situation, flight operations could change at short notice. Photo by Chris Hoare, Wikimedia commons.