UK preparing to charter flights from Israel, Lammy says

The UK is arranging charter flights to return British nationals from Israel once Israeli airspace re-opens, the foreign secretary has said.

David Lammy confirmed the government was working with the Israeli authorities to provide flights out of Tel Aviv airport, the number of which will be based on demand.

Israeli airspace is currently closed due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. The two nations have exchanged waves of air strikes since Israel targeted military and nuclear sites, as well as military commanders and nuclear scientists, a week ago.

The statement came as Lammy arrived in Geneva for talks with Iran, in the hopes of negotiating an agreement on Tehrans nuclear programme.

British nationals who wish to return home from Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been advised to complete a form with their email and UK passport number.

Lammy said this was to "register their presence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to be contacted with further guidance on these flights".

Flights will only be provided to those who hold a UK passport, the Foreign Office said.

Land routes out of Israel remain open and Lammy said UK staff will be on hand to support British nationals who have crossed the border - including providing transportation to nearby airports.

Earlier, the Foreign Office said families of staff at the UK embassy in Tel Aviv and the British consulate in Jerusalem had been temporarily withdrawn "as a precautionary measure".

The talks in Geneva with Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will also include top diplomats from the EU, Germany and France. They are Irans first face-to-face discussions with Western counterparts since the conflict began last week.

Ahead of the meeting, Lammy said "a window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution".

The conflict began on 13 June, when Israel launched a series of attacks across Iran, stating that they were to prevent Iran producing a nuclear weapon. Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful.

Tehran retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, and the two have traded strikes in the days following.

Several other countries have initiated complex evacuation operations.

Australia is repatriating around 1,500 nationals from Iran and 1,200 from Israel. Some Australians have already left Israel on a ship to Cyprus.

China has evacuated more than 1,600 citizens from Iran and several hundred from Israel, its foreign ministry says, advising nationals to leave via land routes.

India has said it plans to evacuate nationals in Israel who wish to leave, while Japan is sending two military aircraft to Djibouti in preparation for the evacuation of its citizens from both Iran and Israel.

Meanwhile, around 3,000 Pakistanis have left Iran since hostiles began.