Amid fears of imminent Iranian attack on Israel, Britain is drafting plan to evacuate its citizens.
By World Israel News Staff
The British government is gearing up for the possible mass evacuation of its citizens from Israel in the event of a major Iranian attack on the Jewish state, the Mirror reported Wednesday.
Tehran has threatened to retaliate for the July 31st assassination of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital in an explosion widely attributed to Israel.
While Britain, the U.S. and other Western powers have urged Iran to escalate tensions in the region, the British Foreign Office has drafted plans for evacuating British nationals from Israel, should Iran ignore calls to avoid sparking a full-blown war.
Last week, the British government called on U.K. citizens in Lebanon to leave the country, amid concerns the war between Israel and Iranian proxies including Hezbollah could lead to a conflagration on the Israel-Lebanon border.
“While we are working round the clock to strengthen our consular presence in Lebanon, my message to British nationals there is clear – leave now,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement.
“A widening of this conflict is in nobody’s interest – the consequences could be catastrophic. That’s why we continue to call for de-escalation and a diplomatic solution.”
Now, according to the Mirror, Britain’s Foreign Office is considering chartering emergency flights from Israel to ferry British citizens back to the U.K. in the event of an Iranian attack.
A number of foreign airlines have cancelled flights to and from Israel, leading to concerns that British nationals could be left stranded in Israel should Iran attack, prompting even further service cancellations.
Britain has developed an alternative plan for evacuating its citizens from Lebanon should a major regional war break out, with The Times reporting that London is prepared to launch a “Dunkirk-style” coastal operation to evacuate its citizens should the Beirut airport be rendered inoperative.
Some 16,000 British citizens are believed to currently be in Lebanon.