The US Embassy in Jerusalem authorized on Friday the departure of non-essential American government personnel and diplomats’ families from Israel. The reason cited is security risks, against the backdrop of a potential attack on Iran.
American citizens have also been advised to leave the region and not to travel to Israel.
“You are advised to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available”, the diplomatic mission conveyed.
Restrictions or temporary bans on travel for government employees and their families to certain areas of Israel, including the Old City of Jerusalem and the West Bank, are not ruled out. According to Agerpres, the US embassy did not specify what the security risks are.
The announcement comes in a context where, this week, part of the staff from the US Embassy in Beirut was ordered to leave Lebanon. At the same time, the American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest in the world, off the Israeli coast, as part of the American military deployment in the Middle East, in anticipation of a possible attack on Iran.