Israel urges citizens to immediately leave Egypt, Jordan

JERUSALEM – Israel urged its citizens to immediately leave Egypt and Jordan, the national security council said on Saturday as regional tensions flared over the war in Gaza.  

"Israel's National Security Council raises its travel warnings for Egypt (including Sinai) and Jordan to level 4 (high threat): recommendation not to travel to these countries and for those staying there to leave... as soon as possible," it said in a statement. 

The notice comes just days after Israel recalled its diplomats from Turkey as a security precaution following an earlier request for its citizens to leave as well. 

The evacuation calls came after days of protests across the Middle East over Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip. 

The war ignited after Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip, taking more than 200 hostages and killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death, according to Israeli officials.

Israel has since vowed to destroy Hamas, and a bombing campaign launched in response has leveled entire city blocks in Gaza, so far killing 4,137 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.