Foreign Ministry to open call center for return requests to Israel • Ministry will appeal to Israeli airlines to take part in operation • Minister Katz: "This is a national emergency"

Foreign Minister Israel Katz (Saturday) ordered his office management to prepare a "national emergency plan to rescue Israelis from abroad". As part of the plan, through the embassies and consulates around the world, the concentration of Israelis living abroad and interested in returning to Israel will be mapped. Commercial flights will be organized from the destinations set for Israel.

Israelis stuck in Brazil return to Israel on special flight // Photo: Gil Kramer

The Foreign Office's Situation Room will work 24/7 and will open a hotline for registering return requests from Israelis abroad. In addition, the Israeli airlines El Al, Israir and Arkia will take part in the operation and send aircraft to destinations in accordance with the data collected in the Foreign Ministry.

Minister Katz said he intends to work with the top echelons in the countries of origin to obtain the special permits required to hold the flights, as was done with the foreign minister and the government of Peru.

Katz added that: "Due to the world-wide closures, we are in a national emergency when it comes to returning Israelis to Israel, and therefore a national emergency plan is required. The principle of mutual guarantee will continue to accompany us until the return of all Israelis to Israel, in this challenging emergency. "

"I urge all Israelis traveling abroad to return to Israel as soon as possible. Most countries still have commercial flights and can be returned to Israel, "the minister stressed.

More on:

Twenty-three Israelis remained stranded in Peru

First publication: Preparing for Israeli rescue flight from Peru

Tonight - a rescue flight for Israelis in Lapland

At the same time, Israeli ambassadors around the world have also called on Israeli citizens traveling in their countries to leave immediately before the country closes and cancels all departing flights.

As mentioned, in light of the spread of the Corona virus around the world, Israeli diplomats point to many countries stopping air traffic from their territories, closing land borders, and imposing stricter traffic restrictions on the country and on roads leading to airports.

"We call on Israeli citizens who intend to return to their country, book their flights immediately and leave the country where they are staying, as long as possible. Flights can still be located, even in crooked ways, to return to Israel," the ambassadors said.

Remember, four El Al planes took off the day before yesterday, Lima, the capital of Peru, with the aim of bringing back about a thousand Israeli travelers who remained in the country, which has entered full closure. Following the publication in "Israel Today" this week about the plight of Israelis, Foreign Minister Israel Katz and El Al intervened and decided to send planes and return travelers free to Israel.

The Foreign Ministry also confirmed that 23 Israelis were unable to board El Al flights yesterday, which were supposed to return them to Israel. Israir also organizes a rescue flight for Israelis stranded in the city of Odessa, Ukraine.

At the same time, in light of requests from hundreds of Israelis staying in India and wishing to return to Israel, El Al decided to divert a flight intended to carry cargo tomorrow evening for passengers traveling from Israel to Israel.