Irish citizens are being advised not to travel to Israel and to leave the country if possible.
The extension of a “do not travel” advisory notice to the country comes amid growing regional tensions which have worsened following rocket attacks on Israel by Hizbullah and retaliatory strikes on Beirut and the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.
Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin outlined the new travel advice in separate social media posts on Monday.
Irish citizens in Israel and Lebanon are being asked to register on the Department of Foreign Affairs citizens’ registration platform.
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The department said that where it has issued a do not travel advisory for a country and an Irish citizen is already there, “these citizens should make arrangements to leave if possible to do so. This is the case for all countries where this advice is in place.
“The department is advising Irish citizens to avoid all travel to Israel, Palestine and Lebanon at this time. Citizens should take advantage of the availability of commercial options to depart,” it said in a statement.
While the advice to citizens in the three countries is the same, the department has issued a more extensive caution to those in Lebanon regarding the potential for a rapid deterioration impacting exit routes, with significant contingency planning to prepare for a possible consular crisis as a result of an escalation there.
“Any evacuation of civilians, including Irish citizens, from Lebanon is likely to be a complex and difficult operation. In light of the unpredictability of the situation, events could escalate with very little warning. This could affect exit routes out of Lebanon, prevent access to possible evacuation points, or result in options for evacuation operations becoming unavailable,” the department warned.
It warned Irish citizens not to rely on evacuation missions being possible if commercial options become unavailable. “If the security situation deteriorates, the Irish Government, and all international partners, may be very limited in the assistance we can provide.”
In a statement detailing the changed advice for Israel and Palestine, the department said the security situation remained tense and unpredictable, with the potential for intense escalation.
“Please continue to exercise caution, monitor local media regularly, follow the advice of local authorities and observe any additional security measures imposed during this time.
“There is a risk of rocket fire, drone infiltration and ballistic missiles which can occur without warning, and can disrupt civilian infrastructure, including transportation and communications. We strongly advise that travellers make themselves familiar with the location of their closest protected location.”
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