RAF Evacuates Dozens of Brits from Israel as Middle East Crisis Deepens

David Lammy, Foreign Secretary, warned of a perilous moment in the Middle East as the UK government began evacuating British citizens from Israel following a series of missile strikes between Israel and Iran. One British national has been injured in Israel as a result of an Iranian attack. The Foreign Office has arranged for RAF flights to bring Brits home, with around 4,000 UK nationals in the region registering their interest in leaving. The situation is considered volatile, with the Foreign Secretary working around the clock to secure more flights and bring more people home.

Key Takeaways:

• 63 Brits and their dependents were evacuated from Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on the RAF A400 to Cyprus on the first UK evacuation flight since missile strikes began between Israel and Iran.
• Former Labour MP Dame Louise Ellman and Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis were reportedly among those on the flight.
• Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned Iran that firing at US bases in the region would be a catastrophic mistake.
• One British national has been injured in Israel as a result of an Iranian attack.
• The Foreign Office is working with the Israeli authorities to arrange RAF and charter flights to help UK nationals who want to leave.
• Around 4,000 UK nationals in the region have registered their interest in leaving, with an estimated 1,000 of them expected to take up the offer of British assistance.
• British woman Gabriella Somerville, 58, who was stranded in Israel, criticized the Foreign Office over the evacuation strategy, claiming it was "put together on the back of a cigarette packet in a bar in Parliament".
• The Foreign Office has advised against travel to Iran since 2019, and ministers withdrew staff from the UK embassy in Iran on Friday.

Statistics:

• 63: The number of Brits and their dependents evacuated from Israel to Cyprus on the first RAF flight.
• 10: The number of days of missile strikes between Israel and Iran, as of yesterday.
• 4,000: The number of UK nationals in the region who have registered their interest in leaving.
• 1,000: The estimated number of UK nationals expected to take up the offer of British assistance to leave.
• 5%: The target for UK defence and security spending as a proportion of GDP by 2035.

Sources:

• David Lammy, statement to the House of Commons, yesterday
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer's statement on his visit to the Nato summit
• Foreign Office advice against travel to Iran
• Mirror journalist Ashley Cowburn, reporting on the evacuation effort.