Tens of thousands of British citizens were trapped in a war zone tonight as officials admitted an evacuation from Israel is currently impossible.
The Foreign Office today issued an urgent warning against all travel to Israel following two nights of bombardment by deadly Iranian missiles and drones.
Officials have dusted off previous contingency plans for an airborne evacuation of British nationals from Israel. But insiders tonight admitted it was impossible to put in place while Israel’s airspace remains closed to all civilian flights.
The government does not hold up to date information on the number of Brits living in Israel, but reports suggest it could be as many as 60,000.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy today said the safety of British nationals in the region ‘remains our top priority’.
New Foreign Office guidance today advised against all travel to Israel and urged those stranded there to follow local advice and stay away from missile debris.
‘We recognise this is a fast-moving situation that poses significant risks,’ it said. ‘The situation has the potential to deteriorate further, quickly and without warning.’
The Foreign Office warned anyone looking to flee the country that Israeli airspace ‘remains closed’ and that the conflict with Iran ‘may disrupt road links’.
Tens of thousands of British citizens were trapped in a war zone tonight as officials admitted an evacuation from Israel is currently impossible. Above, the destruction after Iranian airstrikes in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, Israel
Israeli civil defense and fire brigades continue search and rescue operations after Iranian strikes damage buildings in Bat Yam, Israel
The Iron Dome, the Israeli air defense system, intercepts missiles fired from Iran, over Tel Aviv, Israel, 15 June 2025
A British grandfather stranded in Jerusalem today said he was weighing up a bus escape through the Negev desert to flee Iranian missile fire after the Foreign Office said there was little they could do for him.
James Eden, 72, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, flew to Israel last Monday for a six-day Christian pilgrimage.
But he now finds himself trapped in a city on a war footing, with missiles flying overhead and outbound flights suspended.
Mr Eden said: ‘The Foreign Office rang me and said there wasn’t a lot they could do.
‘They can’t put on any planes because the airspace is shut – all they can do is send out alerts and keep track of us.’
When the grandfather-of-four asked about crossing the border, officials told him he could travel to Egypt at his own risk.
The journey would mean a four-hour bus ride through the Negev desert to Eilat, before crossing into Egypt and trying to fly home from Sharm El Sheikh.
‘They said if I care to, I can,’ he said. ‘They’re not going to stop me – but they’re not going to help me get out of Egypt either.
Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire since Israel attacked on 13 June 2025
Foreign Secretary David Lammy today said the safety of British nationals in the region ‘remains our top priority’
Emergency and rescue soldiers extract a dead body out from rubble around heavily damaged buildings after an overnight missile strike from Iran on June 15, 2025 in Bat Yam Israel
The Foreign Office today issued an urgent warning against all travel to Israel following two nights of bombardment by deadly Iranian missiles and drones
Members of Israel’s Home Front Command search for missing people under the rubble of a partially collapsed residential building after Iranian ballistic missiles hit Bat Yam, 15 June 2025
The government does not hold up to date information on the number of Brits living in Israel, but reports suggest it could be as many as 60,000
Israeli civil defense and emergency responders conduct nighttime search and rescue operations
‘I’ve done that route before, 20 years ago, so I know it. But once you step into Egypt, who knows what happens then? It’s a risk.’
Mr Eden, who is travelling with a friend, said he had been forced to take shelter in a stairwell when air raid sirens warned of incoming missiles in the middle of the night.
A Foreign Office spokesman said officials ‘stand ready to support British nationals 24/7’.
Whitehall officials drew up plans for an evacuation of British nationals last summer amid heightened regional tensions over the country’s military operation in Gaza.
But the plan focused on using chartered flights which cannot currently land in Israel.
Israel has been the subject of heightened travel advice since the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas.
The Foreign Office has advised against non-essential travel to most parts of the country for much of the intervening period.
This was upgraded to advise against all travel to parts of the country on Saturday, with the red alert extended to cover the whole country today.
The Foreign Office is also advising against all travel to Iran.
