Supplemental Info:
Information for U.S. Citizens in the Middle East
October 30, 2023
Due to increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution. U.S. citizens should:
Stay alert in locations frequented by tourists.
Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive information and alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency overseas.
Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter and visit travel.state.gov.
Information for U.S. Citizens in Israel & the West Bank
U.S. citizens who wish to depart with U.S. government assistance must express their interest via our crisis intake form. Do not fill out this form if you have already completed it – we have your information, and duplicate requests delay our response.
Charter Flights from Ben Gurion
***Please note that Tuesday, October 31 is the last planned U.S. chartered flight out of Ben Gurion***
Commercial availability remains limited out of Ben Gurion Airport. The U.S. government is facilitating charter flight transportation for U.S. citizens; we urge those wishing to leave to take advantage of these charters while they are available. There will be a flight from Ben Gurion International Airport on Tuesday, October 31. Tuesday, October 31 is the last planned U.S. chartered flight out of Ben Gurion. Please go to Ben Gurion International Airport, Terminal 3 if you wish to depart Israel. U.S. Embassy personnel will be present to direct you and provide specific flight information. Be prepared to wait.
Departure over Land Borders
Some U.S. citizens seeking to depart have been successful departing the West Bank and Israel into Jordan via the border crossings, including Sheikh Hussein and Allenby Bridge. We encourage U.S. citizens to take advantage of those options if possible and safe to do so.
Information for U.S. Citizens in Gaza
The military conflict between Israel and Hamas is ongoing, making identifying departure options for U.S. citizens complex. We are working on potential options for departure from Gaza for U.S. citizens. We have U.S. government officials working 24/7 to try to assist. If you have not already done so, please complete the crisis intake form to provide contact information should we need to reach out to you on short notice.
We anticipate that the situation at the Rafah crossing will remain fluid and unpredictable. If you assess it to be safe, you may wish to move closer to the Rafah border crossing – there may be very little notice if the crossing opens, and it may only open for a limited time.
Information for U.S. Citizens in Lebanon
We recommend that U.S. citizens in Lebanon leave now, while commercial flights remain available, due to the unpredictable security situation. Please see available flight options at Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport. You should have a plan of action for crisis situations that does not rely on U.S. government assistance. The best time to leave a country is before a crisis if at all possible. U.S. military-assisted evacuations of civilians from a foreign country are rare. There is no guarantee the U.S. government will evacuate private U.S. citizens and their family members in a crisis situation. If you have not already done so, please complete the crisis intake form to provide contact information should we need to reach out to you quickly with urgent updates.
Information for U.S. Citizens in Iraq
We recommend U.S. citizens in Iraq to monitor local media for updates and to avoid protests and large gatherings. U.S. citizens should be aware of the potential for demonstrations and protests related to the ongoing events in Gaza to spread rapidly throughout Iraq. Such demonstrations can develop quickly without prior notice and sometimes turn violent.
Status of U.S. Mission Operations in Israel, Lebanon, and Iraq
Please also be aware that the U.S. government has authorized the departure of family members of U.S. government personnel and some non-emergency personnel on a case-by-case basis from Mission Israel and Lebanon. The Department ordered the departure of eligible family members and non-emergency U.S. government personnel from U.S. Embassy Baghdad and U.S. Consulate General Erbil due to increased security threats against U.S. personnel and interests.
Contact Information for U.S. Citizens:
U.S. citizens worldwide are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates.
U.S. citizens in Israel, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza who would like our assistance should fill out the crisis intake form. Do not fill out this form if you have already completed it – we have your information, and duplicate requests delay our response.
U.S. citizens in Iraq can reach the U.S. Embassy’s American Citizens Services unit by email.
Reach us by phone:
State Department – Consular Affairs 1-833-890-9595 (toll free) and +1-606-641-0131
U.S. citizens in Israel please call the local number (03-519-7426)
U.S. citizens in Lebanon please call the local number (961-4-543 600)
U.S. citizens in Iraq please call the local number (0760-030-4400)
View the Original:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/situation-in-israel-2023.html
