5 hours ago
8
The first Britons evacuated out of Israel have landed back in the UK after a "long and intense" journey.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) flight departed Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport with 63 British nationals and their family members on Monday afternoon, making a stop in Cyprus before landing at Birmingham Airport early on Tuesday morning.
One passenger said he was grateful to personnel on the ground, but was critical of the evacuation plan which has followed many other nations bringing citizens home, including the US and Portugal.
Israeli airspace has been closed - leaving thousands of Britons stranded - since the conflict started earlier this month when Israel attacked nuclear sites in Iran, prompting Tehran to respond with missile strikes.
Passenger Max Radford accompanied his elderly parents on the first British evacuation flight.
"It's been a pretty long and intense day", he said just moments after landing back in the UK on the RAF A400 military aircraft.
Mr Radford emphasised that while he was "really thankful" to the RAF and Foreign Office staff, the evacuation plan was "shambolic every step of the way".
He accused the UK government of seemingly "making it up as they go along", saying that more needs to be done to get British citizens out of Israel.
"There are thousands of people - and 63 people on one flight, maybe once a day, is nowhere near enough," he said.
Downing Street said that around 1,000 people had asked for a seat on an evacuation flight – a quarter of the 4,000 who have registered their presence in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Foreign Office.
On Monday, the Foreign Office said further evacuation flights would be based on demand and the security situation. British nationals still in Israel have been urged to register their presence with the UK government.
Mr Radford, who paid £1,050 for three tickets, also said it was "ridiculous" that the plane had landed in Birmingham, accusing the Foreign Office of choosing the destination because it would be cheaper than landing in London.
The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.
Recalling a moment of positivity during the flight, however, Mr Radford said he would "never forget" how passengers started singing the Israeli national anthem and God Save the King on the plane.
"It just shows the togetherness and the spirit of the Jewish people of the UK," he said.
On Tuesday morning, US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was "now in effect".
In a statement, the Israeli government said the country had agreed to Trump's proposal but would "respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire."
Israel and Iran exchanged heavy fire before the ceasefire was confirmed. The Israeli ambulance service said four people were killed, and 22 wounded, as a result of Iranian strikes overnight.
Tehran also faced a barrage of intense attacks, although the number of casualties is not yet clear.
