The Russian embassy in Tel Aviv on Friday advised all its nationals to leave Israel using regular airline connections while they remain available. Diplomats pointed to the increased security risks from the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“As of today there are still opportunities to leave Israel, including on scheduled flights of Russian and other companies,” the embassy said in a statement. “We strongly recommend that Russian citizens take advantage of it.”
“We continue to monitor the situation with flights from Tel Aviv International Airport," the embassy added.
More than a dozen airlines have canceled flights out of the Ben Gurion airport after it came under rocket fire by Hamas on Wednesday. Three Israeli carriers, as well as airlines from the Seychelles, Serbia, Ethiopia, the UAE, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Dubai are still flying, however.
The embassy said it has been checking with Israeli police to get information about other Russian nationals with whom it has lost contact. Four Russian citizens have been killed and six more are missing as of Tuesday, in the aftermath of a Hamas attack from Gaza that targeted nearby towns, villages and settlements.
Israel has recorded more than 1,300 killed in Saturday’s surprise assault by the Palestinian militants. The government in West Jerusalem has responded by declaring “war” on Gaza, launching multiple air strikes at the territory, and ordering civilians in the north of the area to leave, though they have nowhere to go.
As of Thursday night, the death toll in Gaza stood at 1,537 people, including around 500 children, with another 6,612 injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.