IMPORTANT

U.S. citizens who wish to depart Israel or the West Bank with U.S. government assistance must express their interest via the U.S. Department of State crisis intake form. Do not fill out this form if you have already completed it. 

U.S. Citizens in Lebanon: 

NEW SECURITY ALERT FOR LEBANON: U.S. citizens are advised not to travel to Lebanon due to the unpredictable security situation. U.S. citizens in Lebanon are urged to make plans to depart as soon as possible while commercial options are still available and prepare contingency plans for emergency situations. U.S. citizens in Lebanon who need emergency assistance should contact the Department of State though this crisis intake form. 

U.S. Citizens in the West Bank: 

U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents with Palestinian Authority passports/IDs may not be able to reach U.S. Embassy Jerusalem or Branch Office Tel Aviv for emergency passport service or access to Ben Gurion Airport for the scheduled assisted departure flights due to closures of checkpoints between the West Bank and Israel.   

If you are unable to enter Israel from the West Bank, you should use the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge to depart the West Bank.    

For more information about the status of the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge crossing, see https://www.iaa.gov.il/en/land-border-crossings/alenbi/ or call +972-02-548-2600.  

Dual national U.S citizens with expired U.S. passports may be able to cross using a valid passport from their other country of nationality and renew their U.S. passport at the U.S. Embassy in Amman. 

U.S. Citizens in Gaza 

The military conflict between Israel and Hamas is ongoing, making identifying departure options for U.S. citizens complex. The U.S. Department of State is working on potential departure oprtions from Gaza for U.S. citizens. If you have not already done so, please complete the crisis intake form to provide contact information should the U.S. Department of State need to reach out to you on short notice.  

The situation at the Rafah crossing will likely remain fluid and unpredictable.  If you assess it to be safe, you may wish to move closer to the Rafah border crossing – there may be very little notice if the crossing opens, and it may only open for a limited time. 

Departure Assistance from Israel: 

The U.S. government is facilitating transportation for U.S. citizens. Those wishing to leave are encouraged to take advantage of these charters while they are available. There will be flight departures from Ben Gurion International Airport on Thursday, October 26 and Sunday, October 29.  

If you need departure assistance from the U.S. Department of State, it is critical to fill out this crisis intake form.  
 

After completing the crisis intake form, U.S. citizens should arrive at Ben Gurion Terminal 3 and look for a table with a U.S. flag where U.S. Embassy personnel will be present to provide further instructions and assistance. Chartered transportation will be to nearby safe locations, not back to the United States and you may not be able to choose your destination. Seats are on a space available basis. You are encouraged arrive early as you may need to wait for an available flight.   

For security alerts and travel advisories, please monitor messages to U.S. citizens from the U.S. Embassy in Israel. 

The U.S. Department of State has a 24/7 coordinating group communicating with U.S. citizens and providing them assistance through phone calls and an online form. U.S. citizens seeking to be in touch with the U.S. Embassy in Israel can fill out the crisis intake form or call 1-833-890-9595 or 1-606-641-0131. 

To ensure the U.S. Embassy in Israel can contact you in an emergency, U.S. citizens in Israel should enroll their contact information into the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.  

Commercial travel information from the U.S. Embassy in Israel: Ben Gurion Airport remains open, but some flights have been reduced or suspended.  Please check with the airlines on the availability of flights and flight status.  You can check the status of flights and the status of Ben Gurion airport here: https://www.iaa.gov.il/en/    

Visa Information for Israeli Citizens: 

To decrease wait times, Israeli citizens can now apply for non-immigrant travel to the United States with an ESTA application, rather than waiting for a non-immigrant travel visa or humanitarian visa. More information here. 

Check visa appointment wait times here.   

Regional Travel Advisories and Security Alerts: 

The U.S. Department of State will post additional updates to its travel advisory for Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza here. The U.S. Department of State released the following Regional Security Alerts for Egypt, Jordan, Cyprus, and Lebanon. 

Contact My Office:

My office stands ready to assist. For assistance with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Passport Agency, or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, please contact my office by calling 1-856-427-7000.