Latest news with #PalestinianTerritories
Times
17 hours ago
- Times
Israel travel advice: is it safe to visit right now?
The conflict between Iran and Israel has been ongoing since June 13 and the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to the two Middle Eastern countries and the occupied Palestinian territories. Although Israeli airspace has been closed since the fighting began, it's still possible to leave the country via its land borders, some of which are only open for a limited number of hours during the day. The Foreign Office warns that this could change at any time. On Friday, June 20, foreign secretary David Lammy said that the government was working with the Israeli authorities to provide charter flights from Tel Aviv when airspace reopens. However, it is not yet clear when that will happen. Separately, the Israeli tourist board is collecting visitor information to co-ordinate departures in due course. • Read the latest on Israel-Iran here The situation in the Middle East is still developing. On June 27 the UK Foreign Office updated its advice to state it continued to advise against all travel to certain areas in Israel/the occupied Palestinian territories. The UK Foreign Office removed its advice on Brits registering their presence via a digital form on June days earlier, on June 22, the UK Foreign Office stated that the US has launched military strikes on Iran and that Iran-aligned militia groups are also likely to continue to conduct attacks. It warned that this a fast-moving situation that poses significant risks and that the situation has the potential to deteriorate further, quickly and without warning. This advice came after the Foreign Office raised the level of its advice for Israel from 'amber' to 'red' on June 15, when it warned against all travel to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. If you travel against this advice, your travel insurance is likely to be invalidated. Israeli airspace remains closed and there has been a nationwide state of emergency declared in Israel. The UK Foreign Office advises those in Israel to check Home Front Command for the latest guidance (available in Israel only) and follow instructions from the Israeli government. It states 'Restrictions may be put in place at short notice. Should you be in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPTs) and not have access to Home Front Command continue to follow local instructions including from Palestinian Civil Defence (call 102, or see or الدفاع المدني الفلسطيني | Facebook). 'The interception of missiles over Israel and the OPTs may result in falling fragments or debris. If you encounter any projectile debris or fragments you should move away from them immediately and contact local authorities.' If you are in Israel, keep yourself informed via local media, and follow any advice found on the Israeli Home Front Command website; the advice can also be obtained by calling 104 (these services are only available to those currently in Israel). Those in the UK concerned about friends or family members in the area can call the Foreign Office on +44 (0) 207 008 5000. On June 16, it was reported that the Foreign Office will dispatch rapid response teams to assist travellers making their way from Israel to border crossings with Jordan and Egypt. On Friday, June 20, foreign secretary David Lammy said: 'As part of our efforts to support British nationals in the Middle East, the government is working with the Israeli authorities to provide charter flights from Tel Aviv airport when airspace reopens.' Foreign Office advice states: 'International land border crossings to Jordan and Egypt are open, but could close without notice and timings are subject to change. Before you travel check the travel advice for any neighbouring country that you are planning to travel to or through.' It's still possible to leave Israel via its land borders. Jordan-Israel border crossings are open during the following hours (timings subject to change): • Allenby/King Hussein Bridge: 8am to 2.30pm• The Northern (Jordan River/Sheikh Hussein) crossing: 8.30am to 2.30pm• The Southern (Yitzhak Rabin/Wadi Araba) crossing: 8am to 8pm The Egypt-Israel border crossing at Taba is open 24 hours, although this is also subject to change. • Is it safe to travel to Egypt right now?• Is it safe to travel to Tunisia right now?• Is it safe to travel to Cyprus right now?• Is it safe to travel to Morocco right now? Travelling against Foreign Office advice means that most standard travel insurance will be immediately invalidated — and also that, should you need consular assistance on the ground, it will likely be challenging. Consular and embassy support is still available to Britons for the time being. If you were due to travel to Israel, check with your travel firm, airline or tour operator. It's likely that your travel plans have already been cancelled, so you would be due a full refund. Your travel insurance policy may be able to help with out of pocket expenses. • Travel insurance guide: everything you need to know
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Gaza rescuers say Israeli forces kill 14, including children
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli air strikes and gunfire killed at least 14 people including three children in the war-stricken Palestinian territory on Sunday. Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal said that 13 people died in air strikes at four locations around the Gaza Strip, and another from Israeli fire near an aid distribution center. The Israeli military said it was not able to comment on the reported incidents but said it was fighting 'to dismantle Hamas military capabilities' in a campaign launched in 2023 against the Islamist militant group whose attack on Israel triggered the war. Restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers. Bassal said two children were killed in an air strike on their home in Gaza City's Zeitun neighborhood in the early morning, and 'the house was completely destroyed.' A member of the family, Abdel Rahman Azzam, 45, said he was at home and 'heard a huge explosion at my relative's house.' 'I rushed out in panic and saw the house destroyed and on fire,' he added. 'We evacuated more than 20 injured people, including two martyrs — two children from the family. The screams of children and women were non-stop,' Azzam said. 'They bombed the house with a missile without any prior warning. This is a horrific crime. We sleep without knowing if we will wake up.' Elsewhere, Bassal said a drone strike on a tent housing displaced people near the southern city of Khan Yunis killed five people including a child. He said that other casualties included a young man killed 'by Israeli fire this morning while waiting for aid' near a humanitarian distribution center in the southern city of Rafah. The Israeli military issued an evacuation order on Sunday for parts of Gaza City and nearby areas in the territory's north, warning of imminent action there. The military 'will operate with intense force in these areas, and these military operations will intensify and expand... to destroy the capabilities of the terrorist organizations,' military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement posted on X. He told residents to 'evacuate immediately south' to Al-Mawasi area on the coast. Israel launched its offensive in October 2023 in response to the deadly Hamas attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,412 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable. After claiming victory in a 12-day war against Iran that ended with a ceasefire on Tuesday, the Israeli military said it would refocus on its offensive in Gaza, where Palestinian militants still hold Israeli hostages.
BreakingNews.ie
25-06-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Tánaiste to include services from Israeli settlements in trade ban
The Tánaiste has vowed to include the provision of services to legislation that will ban imports from Israeli settlements if it stands up to legislative scrutiny. Simon Harris also said he wants to put pressure on the other 26 European countries to consider banning trade with occupied Palestinian territories, and called on opposition parties to contact their counterparts in the bloc. Advertisement Mr Harris said Ireland is the only country to publish legislation to ban imports from the occupied Palestinian territories, saying it is 'pretty lonely out there', adding it would be 'a hell of a lot better' if Europe moved together on it. The legislation was approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday morning. Mr Harris brought forward the renamed Israeli Settlements (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025. The Government opted for fresh legislation instead of progressing the Occupied Territories Bill, first tabled in 2018. Advertisement It will now go before an Oireachtas committee for examination. Mr Harris said that every Government TD will be expected to back the legislation as it forms part of the Programme for Government. 'Let's not forget one thing before we get into the detail of the legislation, there isn't another country in the European Union that you can visit today and ask a government minister about their Bill to ban trade and the detail of it, because they don't have one,' he added. 'We're the first country in the European Union to take this step. We're the first country in the European Union say, yes, trade is a European competency, and it'll be a hell of a lot better if Europe moves together, and a hell of a lot more impactful. Advertisement 'But in the absence of Europe moving together, we're going to go ahead with our own domestic legislation. 'I would really ask the opposition here not to do this lazy politicking of you know, opposition good, government bad. Everybody in this country is sickened to the pit of their stomach with the genocide they see in Gaza. 'They don't care, the people of Ireland, who they vote for in an election in relation to this, they just know in their gut what is happening, particularly children in Gaza, is genocide is wrong, and everyone has to do everything they want. 'I have no policy difference, zero policy difference with the opposition in relation to the inclusion of services, but we do have a Constitution, we are members of the European Union, and I'm not in the business of putting together legislation that would fall at the first legal hurdle. Advertisement 'I presume everybody here wants to pass a law that is impactful, a law that is in compliance with the laws of our land.' Earlier this week, a number of countries, including Ireland, asked the European Commission to examine how goods produced in illegal Jewish settlements 'can be brought into line with international law'. Mr Harris said he does not believe the European Union has made itself compliant with the ICJ advisory opinion. 'We will do our own legislation, (I am) open to services, absolutely open to working constructively with the opposition, but also keep the pressure on at the European level,' he added. Advertisement 'What I hope the opposition will be doing today, every opposition leader should be picking up the telephone, and they should be ringing their counterparts in European countries and saying, 'hey, have you seen here in Ireland we're bringing forward a domestic legislation, would you think about doing it yourself? 'Because so far, it's pretty lonely out there. There's not one other country in Europe that has published any legislation to ban trade, and I'd really appreciate the opposition's help with their counterparts in the 26 other European states.'
CTV News
22-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Israel recovers the remains of 3 more hostages from Gaza
This is a locator map of Israel and the Palestinian Territories. (AP Photo) TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military said Sunday that it has recovered the remains of three hostages held in the Gaza Strip. At least four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike and 22 wounded while waiting for humanitarian aid, according to a local hospital. The military identified the remains as those of Yonatan Samerano, 21; Ofra Keidar, 70; and Shay Levinson, 19. All three were killed during Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel that ignited the ongoing war. The militant group is still holding 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive. The military did not provide any details about the recovery operation, and it was unclear if the airstrike was related to it. 'The campaign to return the hostages continues consistently and is happening alongside the campaign against Iran,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. Kobi Samerano said in a Facebook post that his son's remains were returned on what would have been Yonatan's 23rd birthday. War in Gaza rages on as new front opens with Iran Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people in the Oct. 7 attack. More than half the hostages have been returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals, eight have been rescued alive and Israeli forces have recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said that women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Four people were killed on Sunday in an airstrike in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to Al-Awda Hospital, where the bodies were brought. It said another 22 people were wounded while waiting for aid trucks. Palestinian witnesses and health officials say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on crowds seeking desperately needed food, killing hundreds of people in recent weeks. The military says it has fired warning shots at people it said approached its forces in a suspicious manner. Separately, World Central Kitchen, the charity run by celebrity chef José Andrés said it had resumed the distribution of hot meals in Gaza for the first time in six weeks after shutting down because of Israel's blockade, which was loosened last month amid fears of famine. Hostage families call for their release The Oct. 7 attack and Israel's offensive ignited a chain of events leading to Israel's surprise attack on Iran last week. The United States entered the war overnight with attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites. The Hostages Families Forum, the main organization representing families of the hostages, has repeatedly called for a deal to release the remaining captives. 'Particularly against the backdrop of current military developments and the significant achievements in Iran, we want to emphasize that bringing back the remaining 50 hostages is the key to achieving any sort of victory,' it said in a statement Sunday. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu has rejected those terms, saying Israel will continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Even then, he has said Israel will maintain lasting control over Gaza and facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population, plans the Palestinians and others view as forcible expulsion. The United States, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to broker a new ceasefire and hostage release after Israel ended a truce in March with a surprise wave of airstrikes. Those talks appear to have made little progress as Israel has expanded its air and ground offensive. Magdy reported from Cairo. Tia Goldenberg And Samy Magdy, The Associated Press
The Guardian
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
British nationals who want to leave Israel to be offered flights to UK, says David Lammy
British nationals who want to leave Israel will be offered charter flights from Tel Aviv as soon as airspace reopens, the government has said. With the conflict with Iran continuing, Whitehall officials have been working to organise escape routes for the thousands of British and dual nationals in Israel. Those who are holidaymakers, on business trips, visiting relatives or are otherwise temporary residents are most likely to be prioritised, but the Foreign Office said flights would be provided based on demand and the safety of all British nationals was its top priority. David Lammy, the foreign secretary, said: 'The UK will provide charter flights for British nationals from Tel Aviv when airspace reopens. Register your presence to receive further guidance.' Government advice remains that British nationals should follow local guidance on movements within Israel and take decisions on whether to leave based on their individual circumstances. Thousands of people currently in Israel or the occupied Palestinian territories are understood to have registered their presence with the Foreign Office, but the government has not moved to advise a general departure or relocation to Tel Aviv. Many of those registered are thought to be dual British-Israeli nationals who may not seek UK consular assistance, but a smaller number of people have made active requests for support. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion A No 10 spokesperson said: 'We are advising British nationals to continue to register their presence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, to be contactable with further guidance on these flights.' People in Israel have been heading for bomb shelters since the Israeli government started bombing Iran and faced a counterattack. At least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Israel launched airstrikes that it said were aimed at preventing Iran developing a nuclear weapon. Iranian officials insist the country's nuclear programme is peaceful. Land routes are available out of Israel and some UK nationals have already left. The Foreign Office's response has come in for criticism after it emerged that families of UK officials had been removed from Israel, while other British nationals have so far only been advised to remain and to follow local guidance. The dependants of diplomatic staff have left as a 'precautionary measure', with staff remaining at the embassy in Tel Aviv and the consulate in Jerusalem.
