Travel Warnings Following Recent Hostilities Between Israel And Gaza - Updates

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that his nation is "at war" with Hamas after the Islamist terrorist group's unexpected attack last week.

As a result, flights to and from Israel have been halted by most major airlines, and governments are updating travel advice for people planning to visit the area.

The United States Department of State has recently issued a level three, "reconsider travel," recommendation for Israel and a level four, "do not travel," alert for Gaza.

Although the situation is still developing and details may change quickly, this is what tourists should know after the assaults.

Israel's international airport near Tel Aviv, is on Hamas's list of purported targets, yet it is still operating normally.

Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport (ETM) near the southern city of Eilat on the Red Sea also expects to keep operating.

El Al, the nation's flag carrier, released an announcement reassuring its customers that its flying schedule will not change for the moment. To paraphrase from their website, the airline will follow the orders of the Israeli security forces, as the flights will regularly take off and land on time. Only Terminal 3 will be used for El Al flights.

The airline provides alternatives to passengers who may want to "freeze" their tickets and utilize them at a later time. Any changes made to flights booked between now and October 21 will not incur any additional costs.

A voucher is also available to anybody who cancels their trip by submitting the appropriate information on El Al's website. The airline additionally offers a crisis line for passengers who need help.

Israir and Arkia Airlines, two of Israel's smallest airlines, both announced that they will be running flights to enable Israelis living abroad go back home.

On the other hand, as the situation worsens, global airlines have stated they would significantly reduce their flying connections with Israel.

Lufthansa is one of them. According to a statement, Lufthansa Group Airlines is decreasing its flight schedule to/from Tel Aviv on Saturday against the backdrop of the present dangerous circumstances.

Air France has temporarily halted all flights to the war torn country.

Cathay Pacific Airways, based in Hong Kong, suspended service to and from Tel Aviv, with more information to be provided during today.

Korean Air halted its service on Monday; nevertheless, the company said that it will run a return flight from Tel Aviv to Incheon, in order to send passengers back home.

All Delta flights to and from Tel Aviv have been cancelled for the remainder of the month, but the airline has pledged to "operate with the U.S. government as required to help with the repatriation of U.S. citizens."

Due to the "current operational environment," American Airlines has suspended service to and from Israel's major international terminals till December 4. Nevertheless, the air carrier offers service between New York's JFK and Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, in order to give assistance to individuals wishing to evacuate TLV.

Direct flights on United Airlines have also been canceled. According to a recent statement, safety is the airline's top-priority concern, so all flights are now grounded.

Air Canada, Hainan carriers, Virgin Atlantic, Royal Air Maroc, Wizz Air and Easy Jet are just some of the other big carriers to announce flight cancellations.

Is there any impact on cruises?

Stops in Israel have been rescheduled or cancelled at the last minute by several major cruise companies as well.

The Norwegian Jade will now sail to Turkey before concluding its tour in Athens, Greece, rather than Ashdod and Haifa.

Two Rhapsody of the Seas cruises scheduled to leave from Haifa were also cancelled by Royal Caribbean. Passengers who booked on the impacted trips will get full refunds, the company said.

On the other hand, Celestyal Cruises won't be visiting any Israeli ports between now and the end of the month.

What about previously planned events?

All upcoming matches in Israel have been postponed after UEFA decided to cancel them. The matches vs Estonia and Germany in the Euro Under-21 Championship and Israel's qualifying game with Switzerland for Euro 2024 fall within this category.

The European sports governing body UEFA announced that it will "closely monitor the situation" and "keep in communication with the teams concerned" before deciding on new dates and maybe changing other scheduled events.

The performance by Bruno Mars was supposed to take place this weekend in Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park, but the organizers, Live Nation, declared that the show would not go on as planned. Any customers who had bought tickets will receive a full refund.

More official travel warnings to come

After the strikes over the weekend, several nations revised their warnings against visiting Israel and Gaza.

U.S. citizens in Israel were urged to get in touch with the embassy in Jerusalem or the consulate in Tel Aviv due to "the continued unpredictability" of the current circumstances in Israel, according to a statement released by the US Embassy. Relatives in the United States may fill out an emergency intake form to reach out to relatives in Israel and ask for help.

British citizens in Israel are urged by the British embassy to get in touch with the Home Front Command, an Israeli civil defence organization that handles rescue missions.

The British embassy has also issued a travel advisory warning its people to stay away from Gaza and the border regions with Lebanon.

With almost 1,200 Israelis killed in Hamas-led terrorist strikes within Israeli territory, it marks the single worst day for Jews since the Holocaust. Israel has responded to these murderous terrorist acts by launching a massive military operation against Hamas in Gaza.

Officials in Israel have said that the ultimate objective of the operation is to wipe out all of Hamas's military infrastructure. It is likely that a ground incursion inside Gaza will soon begin, since an air campaign alone will not be sufficient to accomplish this purpose.

More information will become available as the situation develops.

 

Source: edition.cnn.com