Here is everything we know so far about travelling in the region
On Saturday October 7, Islamist group Hamas launched an attack on Israel from Gaza, and Israel has since declared war. The situation is taking a terrible toll on residents of both Israel and the Gaza Strip. And regional instability also has many knock-on effects – including on those wishing to travel in this beautiful part of the world.
Travel companies and governments have quickly issued travel advice, as many cruises and flights have been cancelled or diverted to avoid the conflict. The situation is being closely monitored, so here is everything we know so far about the impact on travel and all the up-to-date advice for those with visits planned to the region.
Is it safe to travel to Egypt?
The UK Foreign Office is not warning against travel to tourist areas in Egypt, such as the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada or the city of Cairo.
It is advising against all travel to the following areas:
Egypt-Libya border (within 20 km) North Sinai Northern part of South Sinai The eastern part of Ismailiyah Governorate Western Desert Hala’ib Triangle and Bir Tawil Trapezoid Two Israeli tourists and their Egyptian guide were killed in Alexandria after a police officer opened fire on some Israeli travellers on October 8, in the wake of the outbreak of the conflict.
What are your rights if you’ve booked a trip to Israel or Egypt?
Because of the updated travel advice for Israel from the UK Foreign Office, you should be able to cancel your trip and get a refund. This doesn’t apply to Egypt, however, as the Foreign Office has not advised against travel to Egypt.
How about if you have a package holiday booked to Egypt?
Because the Foreign Office has not advised against all travel to Egypt, those with package holidays booked do not have grounds for a refund if they cancel their trip. Travellers are advised to check with their holiday provider to see if any flexibility can be offered.
How far is Israel from Egypt?
Egypt is to the west of Israel. The transcontinental country shares a border with Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Where is the conflict happening in Israel?
The conflict began in the areas of southern Israel surrounding the Gaza Strip, an area that has been controlled by Hamas since 2007. Several towns were attacked by Hamas militants but were reclaimed by Israeli forces. Israeli airstrikes are ongoing in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of Gaza residents have so far moved to the southern part of the Gaza Strip as an expected Israeli ground operation nears.
Is it safe to travel to Israel?
On Sunday October 8, the UK Foreign Office updated its travel advice to recommend against all but essential travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Essentially, this means that holiday companies are required to remove their customers from the area, and tour operators are not allowed to send out anyone else until the advice changes.
According to the UK Foreign Office website, ‘the Israeli government has declared a state of emergency across the whole country. International borders (air and land) in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) could close at short notice.’
What is the UK Foreign Office saying?
The UK Foreign Office has issued advice against all but essential travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and against all travel to the following areas:
Gaza within 4km of the border with Lebanon. The Israeli military have announced that the area is a closed military zone and entry into the area is prohibited.
the Sheba’a Farms and Ghajjar within 500m of the border with Lebanon (the ‘Blue Line’) east of Metula, including the northern edge of the town and within 500m of the border with Syria (the ‘Alpha Line’)the area close to the border with Gaza that includes: southwest of Ashkelon south of route 35 and west of route 40 as far as Tlalim, not including Be’er Sheva west of Be’er Sheva north of route 211 It also advises those in an area in Israel affected by the fighting to register their presence.
What is the US Department of State saying?
As of October 14, the US Department of State is advising against all travel to Gaza and ‘Reconsider Travel’ to Israel and the West Bank.
Have flights been cancelled?
The majority of airlines are diverting or cancelling flights amid the growing crisis. In Europe, major airlines including British Airways, easyJet, Finnair, Lufthansa, Norwegian Air, Virgin Atlantic and WizzAir have suspended all flights to Tel Aviv. Major North American airlines including Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta and United Airlines have also suspended all flights to Israel until further notice.
Is travel to other countries near Israel safe?
The Foreign Office is not currently advising against travel to countries neighbouring Israel, but its advice may change quickly as violence escalates. The Foreign Office does advise against travel within three miles of Jordan’s border with Syria. Read our travel advice for Türkiye and our travel advice for Jordan.
For all the information on how you can donate to support and provide relief to those impacted by the conflict in Israel, read our guide here.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news.Here’s everything we know so far about traveling in the region On Saturday, October 7, the Islamic militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel from Gaza, after which Israel declared war. This situation is having a terrible impact on Israel and the residents of the Gaza Strip. And regional instability also has many ramifications, including for those wishing to travel to this beautiful part of the world.
Travel companies and governments quickly issued travel advisories as many cruises and flights were canceled or rerouted to avoid conflict. As the situation is being closely monitored, here is a summary of what we know so far about the impact on travel and current advice for those planning a visit to the region. Is it safe to travel to Egypt? The UK Foreign Office has not issued any warnings against travel to Egyptian tourist destinations, including Red Sea resorts such as Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, or the city of Cairo.
We recommend that you refrain from traveling to the following areas: Border between Egypt and Libya (within 20km) north sinai Northern South Sinai Eastern Ismailiyah Governorate western desert Halib Triangle and Bir Tawil Trapezoid Two Israeli tourists and an Egyptian guide were killed in Alexandria on October 8 when police opened fire on some Israeli tourists after a conflict broke out. What rights do I have if I book a trip to Israel or Egypt? The latest advice on traveling to Israel from the UK Foreign Office should allow you to cancel your trip and receive a refund.
However, this does not apply to Egypt, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not advise against traveling to Egypt. Why not book a package holiday to Egypt? The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not recommended a ban on all travel to Egypt, so package travelers are not entitled to a refund if they cancel their trip. Travelers are advised to check with their travel agent to see if they are flexible. How far is it from Israel to Egypt? Egypt is to the west of Israel. The continent-spanning country borders Israel and the Gaza Strip. Where in Israel is the conflict occurring? The conflict began in the area of southern Israel surrounding the Gaza Strip, which has been controlled by Hamas since 2007. Several towns were attacked by Hamas militants but were recaptured by Israeli forces.
Israeli airstrikes continue in the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans have so far moved into the southern Gaza Strip as an expected Israeli ground operation approaches. Is it safe to travel to Israel? On Sunday 8 October, the UK Foreign Office updated its travel advisory, advising against non-essential travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This essentially means that the tour operator is obliged to remove the customer from the area and the tour operator will not be able to send anyone else until the recommendation is changed. According to the UK Foreign Office website, “The Israeli government has declared a nationwide state of emergency.
The borders (air and land) between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) may be closed at short notice.” What does the UK Foreign Office say? The UK Foreign Office has advised against travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as the following areas: Gaza Less than 4 km from the Lebanese border. The Israeli military announced that the area is a military exclusion zone and entry is prohibited. Shivaa farm and gajar East of Metura, within 500 meters of the border with Lebanon (the “Blue Line”) (including the northern edge of the city) and within 500 meters of the border with Syria (the “Alpha Line”) Area near the border with Gaza.
Includes: southwest of Ashkelon South of Route 35 and west of Route 40 to Tlalim (excluding Beersheba) West of Beersheba North side of National Route 211 Additionally, people in combat zones within Israel are advised to register their presence. What does the US State Department say? As of October 14, the US State Department has banned all travel to Gaza and advised “reconsider travel” to Israel and the West Bank. Was your flight canceled? Most airlines are rerouting or canceling flights as the crisis unfolds. In Europe, major airlines including British Airways, EasyJet, Finnair, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air have suspended all flights to Tel Aviv. Major North American airlines including Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have also suspended all flights to Israel until further notice.
Is it safe to travel to other countries near Israel? The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not currently recommend against travel to Israel’s neighboring countries, but the recommendation could change quickly if violence escalates. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against traveling within three miles of the Jordanian-Syrian border. Read our advice on traveling to Turkey and our advice on traveling to Jordan. For more information on how to donate to support and provide assistance to those affected by the conflict in Israel, check out this guide. Stay informed: Sign up for the free Time Out Travel newsletter to get the latest travel news.