British citizens complain of being stranded in Israel while others are repatriated

As deadly missile strikes continue to be exchanged between Israel and Iran and commercial aviation is being cancelled or diverted, reports are multiplying about visitors from around the world who have found themselves stranded in the Middle East.

The BBC and The Independent have reported in detail on five separate British families stuck in Israel after booking holidays there, visiting sick relatives, or attending family occasions, while the Daily Mail has told the story of a British teenager who went to visit friends in Tel Aviv and now says authorities have left him “on his own”, as well as a 31-year-old British man, and a father and his two adult children who are also stranded.

The Brits are not the only ones unable to take commercial return flights. Israel’s Ministry of Tourism has said 40,000 visitors are in the same situation, including a number who had gone to Tel Aviv for its annual Pride celebrations. But while the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia are among nations already undertaking repatriation missions via Cyprus, Egypt and Jordan, the British tourists are describing their government’s response as “very unhelpful” and complaining that “The only travel advice on the website is don’t go to Israel.”

At the time of writing, as well as advising against all travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office website, asks citizens already on the ground there to register their presence to receive updates. In addition, details and timings for international land border crossings to Jordan and Egypt are given. These are described as “open, but could close without notice and timings are subject to change.”

The website also says that commercial flights continue to operate from various airports in the region. This combination of land and air information implies that British citizens should be attempting to reach an open airport (despite frequent air raid warnings). A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman told the BBC it is sending “rapid deployment teams to Egypt and Jordan” to assist any Brits who travelled to the borders. 

Commenters on both The Independent’s and the Daily Mail’s reporting express little sympathy for those stranded, with one pointing out: “Israel has been in a state of war for the past year so if they took the risk of going there during the last year or they have not taken the action to leave when they could.” Others go as far as accusing the travellers of being complicit in human rights’ abuses, claiming that: “If you go on holiday to Israel, thereby condoning their war-crimes, violations of international laws and human rights, you deserve all the trouble you get as a consequence and zero pity or assistance.”