Leave Israel while flights are available: US Embassy in Jerusalem advisory to American citizens
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Leave Israel while flights are available: US Embassy in Jerusalem advisory to American citizens")
Photograph: (AFP)
The US embassy said it was allowing non-emergency government personnel and family members to leave Israel "due to safety risks," adding that people who wished to leave should do so while flights were still available.
The United States embassy in Jerusalem on Friday (Feb 27) said that "persons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available." The advisory from the US embassy comes amid heightened tensions with Iran as the United States ramped up its military build-up in the region, deploying the world's biggest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, off the northern coast of Israel on Friday.
Citing safety risks, the US mission said in a statement that "the Department of State has authorised the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and family members of US government personnel from Mission Israel due to safety risks."
"In response to security incidents and without advance notice, the U.S. Embassy may further restrict or prohibit U.S. government employees and their family members from travelling to certain areas of Israel, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the West Bank," it added.
The embassy emphasised that US citizens should reconsider travel to “Israel due to terrorism and civil unrest, and to the West Bank due to terrorism and civil unrest”.
It also strictly advised against travel to certain areas, citing various security concerns such as Gaza due to terrorism and armed conflict and within 11.3 km/7 miles of the Gaza periphery; northern Israel within 4 kilometres/2.5 miles of the Lebanese and Syrian borders due to continued military presence and activity; and the Egyptian border within 2.4 km/1.5 miles, except for the Taba crossing, which remains open.
