Arrival by air
During war times some air-carriers might cancel their flights to Israel.
Our recommendation in these cases is to fly with the Israeli carriers: El-Al, Israir or Arkia. Israeli air carriers will NOT cancel due to war. The airport is usually fully functioning and might close for short periods (few hours) in cases of immediate threat. Flights in this case might be diverted to a southern airport (Ramon airport) from which shuttles will be provided to take the arriving passengers to Tel-Aviv. Israel Airport Authority: https://www.iaa.gov.il/en/ Arrival by land
If you can't get a direct flight to Israel, you can fly to Amman, Jordan, and cross to Israel through the Allenby border crossing* (About an hour drive from the airport). It has limited open hours, and also might be affected by geo-political developments, so it is best to check with the crossing itself on day of traveling. This is a very common way for foreign journalists to get into Israel when direct flight are not available. The crossing is closed on Jewish weekend and holidays. Allenby Crossing: https://www.gov.il/en/departments/general/alenbi_morc *Notice! The Allenby border crossing is available only for foreign and Palestinian passport holders. Israeli passports need to use the Jordan River Crossing (Sheikh Hussein Bridge).

Press Card/ GPO Card The local press card – referred to as GPO Card (Government Press Office). You are NOT obliged to get one, but we recommend it. It is crucial if you want access to official pressers, IDF activities, embeds etc. It will also allow you access to the GPO WhatsApp group which will send out translated press releases by Prime Minister Office and other ministries. We recommend registering for GPO card online a few days before arrival. The cost is 50 NIS (approx. 14 US $) https://www.gov.il/en/service/government_press_card **Please be advised when you register for a GPO card, you are also agreeing to adhere to military censorship rules. The Israeli Military Censor has the authority to restrict the publication of specific news items, primarily related to military matters such as troop movements, precise addresses of rockets hits or precise details of engagements.

Below are 6 apps that we recommend downloading for your stay in Israel: 1. Home Front Command Will sound a siren and notify you when a rocket attack is aimed at your location. 2. Red Alert Will sound a siren and notify you when rockets are aimed at your location, or anywhere towards Israel. 3. WhatsApp Almost all official (and unofficial) press offices in Israel distribute information, press releases including photos and videos via WhatsApp. If for some reason you are not using this app, we highly recommend you start. (We can provide services to add you to official WhatsApp groups). 4. Waze Navigation application. While navigation apps can suffer disruptions during wartime, Waze will keep you up to date on nearby roads and closed military zones. 5. Gett Gett is the best app for taxi service. There are no Uber services in Israel. 6. Wolt If you are hungry, this is the best food ordering app. It is easy to use and English is available.

For your information, The rules for  travel to Israel have changed. Starting from January 2025,
ALL foreign travelers from visa-exempt countries are required to obtain an ETA-IL (Electronic Travel Authorization) to enter the state of Israel. An approved ETA-IL, indicates that you are allowed to travel to Israel and stay for up to 90 days per visit. All travelers to Israel must have a valid visa or an ETA-IL approval before they start their journey. For application and more information: https://israel-entry.piba.gov.il/

President Office – President Isaac Herzog
Spokesperson: +972-2-670-7256
Foreign media spox: Jason Pearlman, jason@president@gov.il
https://www.president.gov.il/en/ Prime Minister Office – PM Benjamin Netanyahu
Press section: +972-2-670-5465
Foreign Media spox: Keren Hajioff, kerenh@pmo.gov.il
www.gov.il/en/departments/prime_ministers_office/govil-landing-page Ministry of Defense – Minister Yoav Galant
Media Department: +972-3-697-5750
International Media Spokesperson: Nina Ben Zagmi
Media desk: +972-50-629-1093
Media dep. mail: dover@mod.gov.il Foreign Ministry – Minister Israel Katz
Switchboard: +972-2-530-3111
Spokesperson: Oren Marmorstein, +972-2-530-3555, +972-2-530-3343
www.mfa.gov.il Government Press Office (GPO)
Head of Foreign Press Department: Ron Paz, +972-2-500-7517
ronp@press.pmo.gov.il
www.gov.il/en/departments/government-press-office/govil-landing-page IDF Spokesperson's Unit
IDF International Media Desk: +972-52-920-8589,
North America Desk: +972-73-386-2104, +972-73-3862128
https://www.idf.il/en/ COGAT (Coordinator Of the Government Activities in the Territories)
Spokesperson: Shani Sasson, +972-3-697-7611/2
cogat.pr@gmail.com Police
Emergency number: 100
Foreign Press Spokesperson: +972-2-542-8190 Magen David Adom (MDA, first responders)
Emergency Number: 101 United Hatzala (first responders)
Switchboard: +972-2-500-2020
Deputy international media spox: Elias Romano
eliasr@israelrescue.org

Palestinian President Office – President Mahmoud Abbas
Phone: +970-2-2959928/ +970-2-2981370
www.president.ps/eng Palestinian Prime Minister Office – Mohammad Shtayyeh
Phone: +970-2-2968989
Mail: Media@pmo.gov.ps
PM spokesperson for foreign media: Asma Marzouq fmedia@pmo.pna.ps
www.palestinecabinet.gov.ps Palestinian Minister of information – Nabil Abu Rudeineh
Phone: +970-22959928 ext. 105 Red Crescent – Spokesperson Erab Fuqha +970-59-9251116 UNWRA (Jerusalem office)
Kazem Abu-khalaf, Public information officer
Phones: +970-2-589-1618, +970-542-168-723, +970-562-940-664

For your information, The frequency band used for wireless microphones in Israel is now  470 to 506 MHz. This notice was recently released by the  Israeli Ministry of Communication regarding changes  in the frequency band allocated for the use of wireless microphones. "Approximately 20 years ago, public use of wireless microphones in Israel has been permitted in the frequency band 794 to 806 MHz. The Ministry of Communications is allocating new frequency bands for wireless microphones that will allow broader usage than currently permitted, for various purposes—both personal and for events and performances. The frequency band used by wireless microphones until now is part of the 791 to 862 MHz spectrum, where 4G cellular technologies operate in Europe and soon in Israel, with the band 791 to 821 MHz used for cellular infrastructure transmissions. To prevent mutual interference between cellular and wireless microphone uses, additional and more extensive frequency bands are being allocated for wireless microphone use. Additionally, the conditions and allocation for use in the 794 to 806 MHz band have been revoked. However, it should be noted that the operation of wireless microphones in the 794 to 806 MHz band is expected to be disrupted in the future when cellular networks operate in this frequency band. Such disruptions are expected to interfere with the operation of wireless microphones. We urge importers and users of wireless microphones to comply with the changes in regulation.

Here are some recommended Israeli English-language media sources that you might find helpful to follow: Unfortunately, the main TV news channels in Israel (Channels 11, 12, and 13) do not offer English content on their websites. We suggest following their X (Twitter) accounts and using the translation feature for updates: More recommended X (twitter) accounts to follow: Barak Ravid – An Israeli journalist for Axios, CNN, Walla – known for breaking news, particularly on US-Israel relations: https://x.com/BarakRavid

This map shows the cities and communities in Israel that have been evacuated due to higher risk from enemy fire. The level of risk varies and is subject to change. Please note that this map is for informational purposes only. We do not advise on where you should go or what risks you should take. In the southern region, some communities have begun to return, and travel routes are more accessible, though they remain susceptible to rocket fire. In the northern areas, communities and towns are still evacuated. Military authorities have closed several roads due to ongoing rockets and anti-tank missiles fired by Hezbollah. For access to the Google Map, click on the map below:

Experts for interview on Israel-Lebanon: Prof. Eyal Zisser
Tel-Aviv University (TAU) Vice Rector and a lecturer at the Middle East History department and the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies: Expert on Lebanon and Syria
+972 (54) 468-4171
zisser@tauex.tau.ac.il Prof. Uzi Rabi
Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
+972 (50) 537-5486
urabi@tauex.tau.ac.il Dr. Harel Chorev
Expert on Palestinian affairs, including reference to Israeli Arabs and Lebanon, the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies:
+972 (52) 861-5566
harel.chorev@gmail.com Dr. Abed Kanaaneh
Expert on Lebanon & Middle East, the department of Middle Eastern and African History:
+972 (58) 674-1855
abedkan@tauex.tau.ac.il

Armored cars are offered in Israel but cannot be rented without a driver due to special licensing requirements and police permits. This impacts the rental costs and may also restrict the daily usage hours. Most rental companies providing armored cars offer a range of suburbans and vans capable of accommodating 4 to 8 passengers. Explore the Armored Cars category on our Marketplace page for more details.