RAF Atlas aircraft have successfully evacuated more than 220 British nationals and their dependents from Tel Aviv to Cyprus, following a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)-led response to the escalating conflict in Israel.
The airlift operation, which ran over three days, saw Atlas aircraft flying from RAF Brize Norton and Cyprus to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, before returning with evacuees to Larnaca.
The aircraft had been refitted with additional seating to allow over 100 passengers per flight, according to the RAF in a news update.
On arrival in Cyprus, consular staff from the FCDO were on hand to support the evacuees ahead of their return to the UK. Among those on board were young families, pensioners—including two who had just turned 91—and a three-month-old baby.
One RAF aircrew member involved in the mission said: “This is the day job, but it is one of the most rewarding elements of the job when you become involved in any humanitarian activity.”
Evacuee Jeff, who was in Israel with his family for a wedding, described the dramatic shift in circumstances in the update from the RAF: “My family and I were caught in a situation that quickly escalated from a joyous celebration to navigating a war zone. My wife, elderly parents and I were absolutely terrified running to bomb shelters in the middle of the night and the uncertainty of how we would get home.”
The operation was supported by the Ministry of Defence’s Operational Liaison and Reconnaissance Team, who coordinated logistics on the ground, as well as the FCDO’s Rapid Deployment Team.
Squadron Leader Katie Hermolle, Commander of the RAF Air Mobility Detachment, said: “The Air Mobility Force is extremely agile; flexibility is key so that personnel and aircraft can change roles rapidly and deliver operations such as these evacuation flights at very short notice.”
Jeff added: “I cannot express how relieved I am to be back home after such a harrowing experience. The support from the RAF has been invaluable. It was a terrifying ordeal but knowing that help was on the way made all the difference. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in this operation.”
Uk will have citizens in most hotspots. If there is dual citizenship possibly there’s less obligation on uk govt to go into harms way?
Every year same situation, at some point when will people take accountability
Wasn’t the first flight after the ceasefire?
Agree, at some point it should become intuitively obvious which destinations to cross off on the triptik.
Wait for it! The pro Palestine lot will say the RAF bombed Gaza on the way!