Britain has advised against all travel to Israel amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, which has seen deadly strikes traded between the two countries.
The Foreign Office updated its travel advice on Saturday to say that it now advises against travel to anywhere in Israel, where attacks have left at least 10 people dead as sent millions rushing to bomb shelters.
The advice is a change from Friday, when the government said only essential travel was allowed to some areas.
The red alert now puts Israel on the same level as Iran, where travel to anywhere in the country is advised against.
In its update, the Foreign Office said: “Iran has launched multiple rounds of missile and drone attacks against Israel. On 13 June, a nationwide state of emergency was declared in Israel. This followed Israeli strikes against nuclear and military facilities in Iran. Israeli airspace remains closed.
“We recognise this is a fast-moving situation that poses significant risks. The situation has the potential to deteriorate further, quickly and without warning. The current situation has disrupted air links out of the country and may disrupt road links.”
The conflict has caused mass flight diversions across Middle East airspace and shut down Tel Aviv’s airport.
Airlines have halted flights to and from Tel Aviv, with reports of people killed in an Iranian strike on Bat Yam, which is just south of the city.
Israeli commercial airlines have been moving their planes out of the country, as part of a reported contingency plan in case they are targeted in any upcoming attacks.
Israel and Iran have continued to trade heavy missile strikes overnight. On Saturday, Iran warned that it would target US, UK or French bases in the region if they shot down missiles heading for Israel.
There are at least 10 reported dead from Iranian strikes on Israel and an unknown number of casualties in Iran.
Air sirens were heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as casualties were reported from strikes on buildings in northern Israel and Bar Yam, a city just south of Tel Aviv.
Local Israeli media reported Defence Minister Israel Katz as issuing new threats to Iran on Saturday. Mr Katz reportedly said that Israel “will strike the sites and continue to peel the skin off the Iranian snake in Tehran and everywhere, stripping it of nuclear capabilities and weapons systems”.
Amir Hatami, Iran’s chief of staff, has been quoted by Mehr news agency as saying that “from now on, with full preparation, they [Iranian forces] will carry out decisive and effective strikes against [Israel]”.
