Irish citizens are being advised not to travel to Israel due to growing instability in the region.
In a social media post, Taoiseach Simon Harris said the Department of Foreign Affairs had updated its travel advice and was now advising citizens not to travel to Israel in addition to Lebanon and Palestine.
Citizens in Israel are now being asked to register on the department’s citizens’ registration platform.
“Our travel advice for Israel has changed due to growing instability in the region. The Government is now advising Irish citizens do not travel to Israel. The same advice applies to Lebanon and Palestine,” Mr Harris wrote on X.
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The advice already in place since October has been against travel to Lebanon, with those citizens already in place being asked to reassess their need to stay in the country and to leave by commercial means while still possible.
Ireland is undertaking “significant contingency planning” to prepare for a possible consular crisis as a result of escalating tensions in Lebanon, as rocket and air strikes are traded in the region. There are more than 100 registered Irish citizens in Lebanon, although the separtment believes there are more who are not registered.
It has said that any evacuation scenario would need to be a co-ordinated international effort and require extensive co-operation with key partners.
“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 said in a press statement in recent days.
“The department would strongly advise citizens that they should not rely on evacuation options 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 on Monday detailing the changed advice for Israel and Palestine, the department said: “The security situation across both Israel and Palestine remains 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 advice that travellers make themselves familiar with the location of their closest protected location.”
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