No evacuation expected for Ukrainians from Israel, says ambassador 

He stated this on Espreso TV.

"Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we sent a message to our citizens regarding the situation in Israel. We specifically advise them to avoid traveling to Israel, particularly for tourism. However, from an insider’s perspective, the hysteria reported globally is not as apparent when you are actually in the country," Korniychuk explained.

The ambassador believes that the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from Israel is unlikely. 

"Of course, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel have informed our citizens about procedures in case the security situation worsens in the Middle East. We have not received any evacuation requests at the embassy. There have been a few isolated inquiries from citizens about what to do if flights are canceled. In such cases, we recommend purchasing tickets from Israeli airlines.

As of now, none of the foreign embassies in Israel have been evacuated, though some have temporarily suspended consular services. I believe this is only a temporary measure. I want to emphasize that Israel still possesses technical advantages over any potential threats from Iran or Hezbollah. We have experience in evacuating our citizens from Israel, but I do not anticipate that the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens will become necessary," he stated.

Current escalation in the Middle East

On July 30, the Israeli Defense Forces launched an attack on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, killing a top Hezbollah military commander responsible for a missile strike on Majdal Shams.

The following morning, on July 31, it was reported that Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian movement Hamas, was killed in Tehran, Iran.

The Financial Times has reported that high-ranking U.S. and EU officials are urgently discussing measures to eliminate Hezbollah and Hamas leaders to prevent a full-scale regional war.

Axios, citing three US officials, noted that the Biden administration believes Iran may retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and is preparing countermeasures.

In response to the escalating situation, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised its citizens in Iran to leave the country "as soon as possible due to the increased risk of military escalation."

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has updated its recommendations for Ukrainians currently in Israel and Lebanon in light of the deteriorating security situation.

In addition, the United States has decided to increase its military presence in the Middle East to protect its troops and assist in defending Israel against rising threats from Iran and its allies.