UK set to arrange flights to get nationals out of Israel

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Britain will facilitate flights to get British nationals who want to leave Israel amid escalating tension in the region, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Thursday.

The first flight is expected to leave Tel Aviv via the Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday, while additional flights are planned in the coming days -- subject to the security situation, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

It noted that vulnerable British nationals will be prioritized and the Foreign Office will directly contact those who are eligible for the flights.

The Foreign Office also announced Thursday that families of diplomats are departing Israel as a "precautionary measure."

The UK also sent a Rapid Deployment Team to Israel to assist British nationals on the ground.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood -- a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air.

Hamas said the offensive was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

In response, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

That response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.

More than 2,700 people have been killed since the outbreak of the conflict Saturday, including more than 1,400 Palestinians and 1,300 Israelis.