Israel Urges Its Citizens in Ukraine to Leave Immediately, Latest Tuesday

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has called on all Israelis to leave Ukraine immediately or at the very latest by Tuesday amid fears of an imminent Russian invasion. Israeli officials believe the window for evacuating citizens from Ukraine is closing fast and could be shut by Wednesday morning, Israel Hayom reports.

At the meeting yesterday, which took place under the assumption that President Vladimir Putin had taken the final decision to initiate military action, scenarios for the extraction of Israeli nationals were discussed.

The session included Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and ministry officials, as well as National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and other top officials from Israel’s intelligence agencies.

Israel’s ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky, referred in a radio interview on Reshet Bet to the tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

“The families of the Israeli diplomats are due to evacuate [Sunday] morning. We have prepared for this and they are all ready to leave. There are close to 20 people. Everyone will arrive in Israel today,” said the ambassador.

Israeli flight carriers El Al, Israir, and Arkia added Israel-bound flights departing from Ukraine on Sunday and Monday, to accommodate those who wish to return to Israel.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Saturday that he has instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for the possibility of helping evacuate Israelis from Ukraine. Gantz’s office said any IDF assistance would “depend on the scenarios and assessments of the situation.”

The Jewish Agency said Saturday it will evacuate some of its staff and their families on Sunday. The agency’s senior emissaries will reportedly remain in Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry estimated that some 10 to 15 thousand Israelis are currently on Ukrainian territory, including some 4,500 who registered with the Israeli embassy in Kyiv.

U.S. President Joe Biden warned Putin in a 62-minute phone call on Saturday that the United States “will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on Russia” should it invade Ukraine.

According to a readout from the White House, Biden stressed that “while the United States remains prepared to engage in diplomacy, in full coordination with our allies and partners, we are equally prepared for other scenarios.”

The United States also announced plans to evacuate most of its staff from the embassy in the Ukrainian capital. Britain joined other European nations in urging its citizens to leave Ukraine.

Canada has shuttered its embassy in Kyiv and relocated its diplomatic staff to a temporary office in Lviv, located in the western part of the country, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Saturday. Lviv is home to a Ukrainian military base that has served as the main hub for Canada’s 200-soldier training mission in the former Soviet country.