Israel, Iran launch new strikes as evacuation flights surge

Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United States and Russia are among the nations organizing special evacuation flights for their citizens. 

Some countries are chartering commercial planes, while others are deploying military aircraft.

They are evacuating nationals from countries including Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Here’s an idea of what some countries are doing: 

United Kingdom
The first flight chartered by the British government from Oman was expected to land in the UK on Thursday. A second flight is scheduled to depart Oman’s capital, Muscat, on Thursday with a third flight later in the week. 

Several commercial flights had already brought Britons on Tuesday and Wednesday back to the UK. 

Some 138,000 British nationals in the Gulf have registered their presence with the UK government, the Home Office said. 112,000 of these are in the United Arab Emirates. 

Russia
Russia has been evacuating its citizens on emergency service flights and charter planes. More than 100 Russians, including children, arrived in Moscow on a transport aircraft on Wednesday after crossing overland from Iran into Azerbaijan. 

Belgium
Belgium’s news agency reported that the government is evacuating its citizens by road to neighbouring countries with operational flights. It has scheduled buses on Thursday evening to take people to Saudi Arabia, it reported. From there, travelers will have to organize commercial flights themselves. 

Those stranded in the UAE will be taken on buses to Muscat, Oman, starting on Friday, the news agency said. They will then be flown to Hurghada in Egypt. From there, the government is encouraging them to book commercial flights — though a military flight will also be available. 

New Zealand
New Zealand ordered two military aircraft to the Middle East on Thursday to help evacuate of its citizens from the region.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the C-130 Hercules planes would ferry people out of danger to a safe country where they could use a commercial carrier to get home.

“We cannot be sure when and how any civilian evacuation operations might be possible, but we want to be ready if and when conditions on the ground make them possible,” he added.

France
About 400,000 French citizens are in the regions of the Middle East affected by the conflict, either as residents or travelers.

Several reparation flights landed in Paris on Wednesday with more expected. 

France said it would organise further evacuation flights, but government minister Eleonore Caroit called it “a complex process, with constant uncertainty because we are in a very fluid situation.”