LONDON: The British government on Thursday issued an order for the families of its diplomats in Israel to leave the country as a “precautionary measure” following attacks by the Palestinian group Hamas, leading Israel to declare war and impose a siege on Gaza.
In an official statement, the British foreign office clarified that its diplomatic staff would remain on active duty within the country. The statement read, “As a precautionary measure, we are temporarily relocating dependents of staff at our Embassy in Tel Aviv and our Consulate in Jerusalem. Our Embassy and Consulate remain fully staffed and continue to provide consular services to those in need.”
The British government, aligning with its advisory against all non-essential travel to Israel, justified the decision to evacuate diplomats’ dependents. British airlines, including British Airways, easyJet, and Virgin Atlantic, have suspended flights between the United Kingdom and Israel due to heightened security concerns.
