Greece Warns Against Non-essential Travel to Israel

The Greek Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a travel advisory on Sunday warning against non-essential travel to Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Lebanon in view of the Israel-Hamas war and the security situation in the region.

“We advise Greek citizens to avoid, except when absolutely necessary, non-essential travels to Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Lebanon,” it said.

The warning comes after Cyprus issued a travel advisory urging its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Israel, Gaza, and certain areas in the West Bank, including Nablus and Jenin. The advisory calls on Cypriot nationals to exercise caution, closely monitor developments through international and local news sources, and adhere to official guidance and information.

The Cypriot ministry also activated its National Crisis Management Center which provides support to Cypriot citizens currently in these regions.

Photo source: Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Greece completed the repatriation of its citizens from Tel Aviv on Friday, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. On October 9, 90 Greek visitors to Israel returned to Greece on an El Al flight directly to Athens. They were followed by another 68 Greeks on October 10 and 72 on October 12.

Last week, airlines and cruise companies announced that they were rerouting or suspending flights/ship calls to airports and ports in Israel and the wider region and that they were closely monitoring the situation and reviewing itinerary options prioritizing the safety and security of passengers and crew.