tourism ministry israel

Israel Launches Website for Tourists Wishing to Visit

Dedicated Ministry of Tourism mini-site presents all the information one needs to know in order to visit Israel today

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The following is a press release issued by the Israel Ministry of Tourism.

Following government approval to re-open Israel’s skies to vaccinated and recovered incoming tourists, the Israel Ministry of Tourism announces the launch of a dedicated landing page on its website. The landing page incorporates all the necessary and useful information related to local Corona guidelines that a vaccinated/recovered tourist would need to visit to Israel.

The landing page , which will be updated in accordance with any future changes in regulations, is currently in English and will be translated to other languages in the near future.

Information includes:

• Planning Your Trip (definition of vaccinated and recovered tourist, list of approved vaccines and required documentation for entry into Israel);
• During Your Stay (where/how to get Corona testing); and
• Before You Leave (requirements for testing and documentation).

The landing page also includes links to related information at the Israel Ministry of Health and the Home Front Command websites.

The Corona pandemic decimated Israel’s tourism industry, with the abrupt closure of all incoming tourism in March 2020, after a consistent period of increasing growth. 2019 was a record year for incoming tourism to Israel, with 4.55 million tourists (11% increase on the previous year) and revenue of NIS 23 billion. Incoming tourism plunged to just 832,500 tourist entries in 2020 and 401,500 in 2021 (with revenue of approximately NIS 2 billion).

The Israel Ministry of Tourism, via its representative offices around the world, has worked throughout the pandemic to ensure that awareness of Israel as a safe, attractive tourism destination remains high and to nurture relationships with tourism wholesalers, airline companies, etc. In Israel, the Ministry of Tourism has made very significant investments in maintaining and upgrading tourism infrastructure throughout the country, so that tourists can once again enjoy the varied historical, religious, cultural and tourist sites that Israel has to offer.

Dedicated landing page: https://israelsafe.com/

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Israel launches site to keep tourists updated on COVID-19 restrictions

Following the reopening of israel's skies, the tourism ministry took the initiative to launch a covid-19 information center for incoming tourists..

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Israel will reopen to small groups of vaccinated tourists after the High Holy Days.

Visits from organized groups of vaccinated tourists will be allowed after Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, the government said.

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By Adam Rasgon

Israel plans to allow visits from organized groups of vaccinated tourists after Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, taking a step toward reopening to the world even as health officials record thousands of new coronavirus infections daily.

Tourism Ministry officials said the government decision was approved as a pilot program and emphasized that it constituted only an initial step.

“This program is a foot in the door,” said Pini Shani, a senior Tourism Ministry official. “It’s the start of a process that we hope will lead to the renewal of the tourism industry.”

The ministry then hoped, he said, that the government would allow entry starting in October to individual travelers.

Before the pandemic, tourism was booming in Israel, with 4.55 million visitors in 2019 bringing $7.18 billion in revenue into the country, according to Tourism Ministry statistics.

The pilot program will come into effect on Sept. 19, allowing the entry of groups of five to 30 people on condition that they adhere to a host of virus-related measures, including providing a negative P.C.R. test taken 72 hours before landing and undergoing a second test as well as a serological examination upon arrival, the ministry said.

All travelers will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated within the previous six months or proof of having received a booster shot, the ministry said, with a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Union. The program will not be open to those coming from a list of “red” countries, which currently includes Bulgaria, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey.

This program, announced on Sunday, will be Israel’s second attempt to begin reopening to tourists. An earlier effort began in May, but was halted in August when infections surged with the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

Mr. Shani emphasized that only three to four of some 2,800 people who visited under the previous pilot program had contracted the virus.

George Horesh, the chief financial officer and co-founder of the tour company Alma-Israel, expressed concerns about the “bureaucratic complications” of requiring travelers to do several tests upon arrival — especially serological tests, which require drawing blood — but added that he thought the authorities would find a way to smooth the process.

“Our business was basically eliminated during the pandemic, but we think things are finally improving and are on the right track,” he said.

Adam Rasgon reports from Israel for The Times's Jerusalem bureau. He previously covered the Palestinian territories and the Arab world for The Times of Israel. More about Adam Rasgon

To learn more about the guidelines about travel to Israel - click here

All the information you need to know before traveling to Israel

Dear friends.

Out of an abundance of caution over the new Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, as of November 28th, 2021, Israel has closed its borders to all tourists until December 13th, 2021. Only citizens of Israel and specific visa holders are allowed entry to Israel. If you had a trip scheduled during that time, even if you or your group had been granted a permit, you are no longer allowed to go as a tourist regardless of your circumstances. 

During this two week stop, the Ministries of Health and Tourism will work tirelessly to evaluate the current situation judiciously and make policies that reflect the best course forward given all available data.

For the most up-to-date information on tourist entry requirements, please go to the Israel Ministry of Health's Covid-19 website : corona.health.gov.il .

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During the chaos of war, Israel tourism goes dark

Flights have been canceled, tourist sites have closed and hotels are pivoting to relief efforts.

Early on Saturday morning, pastor George Mason went down to the lobby of his hotel in Jerusalem to drop off some laundry. He’d arrived in Israel on Oct. 1 to attend a conference in Bethlehem, then host a nine-day tour with the nonprofit group Faith Commons . Back in his room minutes later, he got a call. The staff could no longer take his laundry “due to the difficulties.”

“I said, ‘What difficulties?’” Mason, 67, told The Washington Post. “He explained that Hamas had fired missiles, and before long we knew that Israel was at war.”

In the days since violence erupted in Israel and Gaza , more than 2,600 people have been killed and at least 25 American citizens are among the dead. The Israeli tourism ministry is helping tourists evacuate . The State Department has urged U.S. travelers to “reconsider travel” to Israel and the West Bank and placed a “do not travel” advisory on the Gaza Strip due to “terrorism, civil unrest, and armed conflict.” “The situation in Israel remains dynamic; mortar and rocket fire may take place without warning,” the department posted Tuesday .

Middle East conflict

Mason says he and his group of about 15 stayed put in their hotel, listening to the thundering bangs of Israel’s Iron Dome system intercepting rockets. They were unsure what to do next. The country’s tourism infrastructure was going dark.

Leon Avigad, founder of Brown Hotels , said there’s a moral obligation to help people navigate the crisis, pointing to a Hebrew saying “kol Israel haverim,” which roughly translates to “all of Israel are friends.”

“This is not a time to think of financial losses. We need to make sure our people are safe during this time,” Avigad said. “In these times of need, everybody just gives a hand — no questions asked.”

Hospitality turns into relief efforts

While Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport remains open, several airlines have cut flights in Israel. Israeli airline El Al said it will fly on Saturday, the Jewish sabbath, for the first time since 1982 to bring in reservists called for duty. Many hotels have shuttered or pivoted to relief efforts. Historic sites have closed, as well as national parks and nature reserves. Cruise lines canceled their ports of call in Israel while other major carriers disembarked from ports earlier than originally scheduled.

Until the war, many in the travel sector, including its tourism minister , had been optimistic for a 2023 outlook, despite visitor statistics still lagging behind pre-pandemic highs. Israel only reopened for tourists in January 2022. That year, Israel recorded 2.675 million tourists — about 41 percent lower than the 4.55 million visitors in 2019, a record year. In 2019, tourism accounted for 2.6 percent of Israel’s gross domestic profit and 3.8 percent of employment, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Some of Jerusalem’s top attractions are also holy sites for multiple religions. An ancient religious compound, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, contains the al-Aqsa Mosque and Islamic shrine the Dome of the Rock, all within retaining walls that once held the Jewish First Temple. The militant group Hamas has cited violent Israeli police raids on al-Aqsa Mosque as part of the justification for its surprise attacks.

Tourist Israel founder Ben Julius, who runs one of the country’s largest tour agencies, said the market only began seeing a more drastic recovery from the pandemic in the last six months. This month alone, the agency expected around 15,000 tourists, its founder said. They’ve since had to cancel hundreds of tour reservations.

“The streets were a ghost town,” Mason said of Jerusalem this week. “Shops weren’t opening. Everyone was in a state of shock, traumatized and tense.”

Mason was seeing the wake of the roughly 360,000 reservists — about 4 percent of Israel’s 9.8 million population — who’ve been summoned by the Israeli military to help in the war effort.

“Restaurants right now ... they can’t open because their staff has been entirely called up,” said Inbal Baum, owner of the Israeli food tour company Delicious Israel . “The wait staff, the chefs ... they’re all in their military gear fighting across the country.”

Among Americans killed or missing in Israel: A scholar, a nurse, tourists

The mobilization has impacted much of the hospitality industry, says Baum, from hotel employees to her own staff. Multiple members of her team have gone to serve. Since her last check, they’re all accounted for but one of them has “lost numerous friends already,” Baum said.

Avigad said he is dealing with the potential of a long-term shutdown at his hotels. Half of the brand’s 27 hotels — which operate in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Greece — are closed and could cost the company millions.

Right now, his main concern is readapting the hotels that have remained open into emergency shelter for those in need. Families, nurses, Israel Defense Forces and volunteers from outside of Israel have moved into their rooms.

They have also allocated personnel in Greece and Israel to help families and travelers coordinate travel needs.

“Sometimes people are in such a panic, they might not know these things,” Avigad said. “They need help. They need someone to guide them. So we dedicated two officials just to assist them in whatever they need.”

Uri “Buri” Jeremias , owner of the Efendi Hotel and his namesake restaurant in the northwestern city of Acre, has kept his restaurant open with minimal staffing to help stranded tourists, families and essential workers.

“People need nourishment and care during these times,” Jeremias said. “Food can go a long way.”

In Gaza, no one can believe their eyes

A culture of rebuilding

Like many in the hospitality industry, Jeremias has spent the last years rebuilding his business. First there was the pandemic. Then in May 2021, rioters set fire to his hotel and restaurant, which are seen as symbols of coexistence with a mixed Arab and Jewish staff, during a spate of violence .

“Unfortunately Israelis are experienced in those situations,” said Pini Shani, deputy director general of Israel’s Tourism Ministry and head of its marketing administration.

When the fighting stops, he’s confident tourism can return to “normal” in the country shortly after. That may be because Israel has a stronger draw than the typical vacation destination.

“The fact that the religious community, both Christian and Jewish, visit Israel in large numbers gives us the advantage of being able to recover quite quickly after crises,” Shani said.

That’s what had brought Mason to Israel. To support his trip — an interfaith experience led by Mason, a Baptist pastor, and Jewish Rabbi Nancy Kasten — his group partnered with Mejdi Tours .

The socially conscious travel company takes people to conflict zones and provides context on their complex issues. They often pair groups with two guides representing clashing sides. In Northern Ireland, for example, customers travel with both a Catholic and Protestant guide. In D.C., they’re led by a Republican and Democrat.

On trips to Israel and Palestinian territories, travelers go with Israeli and Palestinian guides to “meet refugees, meet soldiers, meet human rights activists,” said Aziz Abu Sarah, 43, a Palestinian peace activist who co-founded Mejdi Tours nearly 15 years ago. “Diplomats, right-wingers, left-wingers, people for two states, people for one state.”

Sarah previously worked as the executive director of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. When he started Mejdi, Sarah saw it as less of a business opportunity and more “as a new way to engage with Israelis and Palestinians.”

But before he got into activism and eventually tourism, Sarah says he grew up “very anti-peace.”

“I’m Palestinian. My brother was killed by Israeli soldiers,” he said. “Maybe 30 years ago I would have been celebrating this. But today I can’t because these are my friends. It’s people you know.”

‘We just keep working to fight back up’

Working in an area where conflict looms, Sarah said Mejdi has always had crisis management in place and had plans for crises. He says they had six tours on the ground when the violence started — one as large as 50 people. With many airlines canceling flights to Israel, flying out of the Tel Aviv airport was no longer possible, so Mejdi arranged vehicles to take customers out of rocket range.

Some customers stayed in the region and salvaged their trip; others flew home from Jordan. Mason’s group ended up in Tiberias, an Israeli city on the Sea of Galilee about 100 miles north of Jerusalem.

Now, all of Mejdi’s tours in Israel and Gaza are canceled at least through the end of the month.

Not all companies have followed suit. Sarah knows of some groups still touring — perhaps out of duty to customers (“To some people, it’s also pilgrimage,” Sarah said) or out of necessity.

“We had three years of covid and now this is happening, and I think a lot of people are thinking, ‘Can we take this financially?’” Sarah said.

Baum knows the feeling. “It’s like we just can’t get a break,” she said. “You just kept getting kicked down, and we just keep working to fight back up.”

She isn’t sure how she’ll continue paying her staff if the situation remains volatile. Delicious Israel is hoping some customers will take a credit for a future tour rather than a refund.

In Israel and Gaza, people brace for a long and costly war

Shani said the topic of emergency aid for hospitality businesses is “very complicated,” but says he’s “sure that the government will find the way to support them.”

Baum isn’t feeling as optimistic.

“There are a lot of industries that are going to need money right now,” she said. “I don’t imagine tourism is at the top of their list.”

Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for six months, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding region .

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that included the taking of civilian hostages at a music festival . (See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded ). Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948 .

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars , killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “ famine-like conditions. ” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave .

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians , including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons , funds aid packages , and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 . Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip .

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Over 1.96 lakh tourists visited Mizoram in 2023, including foreigners from US, Canada, Japan, Israel: Tourism Department

In 2023, according to the state tourism department, over 1,96,000 tourists visited mizoram, of which 1,93,445 were domestic and 3,435 were foreigners..

Over 1,96,000 tourists including foreigners visited Mizoram in the year 2023, the state Tourism department said. A total of 1,96,880 tourists visited the north-eastern state in 2023 of which 1,93,445 were domestic and 3,435 were foreigners, the state tourism department. (Also Read | Hinglaj Yatra: Largest Hindu festival in Pakistan draws thousands to sacred sites )

With 1,162 tourists, Americans topped the list of foreigners visiting the north-eastern state, it said, adding that tourists from other foreign countries including Japan, Australia, Israel, Canada and the United Kingdom, also visited Mizoram last year.

The tourist footfall in 2022-23 was over 2.22 lakh of which 2.18 lakh were domestic tourists and 3,551 were foreigners. The tourist footfall in the state was minimal during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was 20,564 in 2020-21 and 1.32 lakh in 2021-22.

Mizoram is famous for its stunning landscapes, which include rolling hills, serene valleys, and cascading waterfalls. The state is also rich in flora and fauna.

The north-eastern state has several tourist destinations or attractions and the most famous are Reiek Tlang (highest hilltop in the state) located about 29 km from Aizawl, Vantawng Falls, Phawngpui peak, Hmuifang Tlang (hill station), Dampa Wildlife Sanctuary, Murlen National Park, Tamdil or Tam lake (largest natural lake in the state) and Mizo heritage villages in Falkawn and Reiek (model village depicting the lifestyle of the Mizo people).

Mizoram tourism is making headway with a 'responsible' tourism policy that came into force in August 2020, it said.

The 'responsible' tourism policy envisages a sustainable development strategy, coordination, strengthening institutional framework and skill development.

The policy also focuses on making tourism a tool for development of villages and local communities, eradicating poverty and providing a livelihood for the local population while upholding the principles of economic, social and environmental responsibilities.

In the past, foreigners had to obtain Protected Area Permit (PAP) from the Union Home Ministry in order to travel to Mizoram.

However, the Home Ministry has suspended PAP and all foreigners except from Afghanistan, Pakistan and China are now exempted from PAP.

Although PAP is no longer required for foreign tourists, every foreigner has to report themselves at the Foreigner Registration Office in Aizawl within 24 hours of their arrival in Mizoram.

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Mizoram's Tourism Booms as Over 1.96 Lakh Visitors Flock in 2023

Mizoram welcomed over 196,000 tourists in 2023, including 3,435 foreigners, led by americans. the state's responsible tourism policy aims for sustainable development and community empowerment. previously required protected area permits for foreigners have been suspended, except for citizens of afghanistan, pakistan, and china. foreigners must still register with authorities upon arrival..

Over 1,96,000 tourists including foreigners visited Mizoram in the year 2023, the state Tourism department said.

A total of 1,96,880 tourists visited the northeastern state in 2023 of which 1,93,445 were domestic and 3,435 were foreigners, the state tourism department.

With 1,162 tourists, Americans topped the list of foreigners visiting the northeastern state, it said, adding that tourists from other foreign countries including Japan, Australia, Israel, Canada and the United Kingdom, also visited Mizoram last year.

The tourist footfall in 2022-23 was over 2.22 lakh of which 2.18 lakh were domestic tourists and 3,551 were foreigners.

The tourist footfall in the state was minimal during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was 20,564 in 2020-21 and 1.32 lakh in 2021-22.

Mizoram tourism is making headway with a 'responsible' tourism policy that came into force in August 2020.

The 'responsible' tourism policy envisages a sustainable development strategy, coordination, strengthening institutional framework and skill development.

The policy also focuses on making tourism a tool for development of villages and local communities, eradicating poverty and providing livelihood for the local population while upholding the principles of economic, social and environmental responsibilities.

In the past, foreigners had to obtain Protected Area Permit (PAP) from the Union Home Ministry in order to travel to Mizoram.

However, the Home Ministry has suspended PAP and all foreigners except from Afghanistan, Pakistan and China are now exempted from PAP.

Although PAP is no longer required for foreign tourists, every foreigner has to report themselves at the Foreigner Registration Office in Aizawl within 24 hours of their arrival in Mizoram.

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Ahead of visit to Israel, US’s Blinken…

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Ahead of visit to Israel, US’s Blinken presses Hamas to accept new proposal for Gaza cease-fire

Mourners pray over the bodies of Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Nuseirat, at the Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

People carry the bodies of Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Nuseirat into the Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken gestures as he departs for Saudi Arabia in the latest Gaza diplomacy push, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Saturday, April 28, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken exits a vehicle as he gets ready to depart for Saudi Arabia in the latest Gaza diplomacy push, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Saturday, April 28, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

A Palestinian flag flutters in the wind during a pro-Palestinian encampment, advocating for financial disclosure and divestment from all companies tied to Israel and calling for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, inside Columbia University Campus on Sunday, April 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

People listen to a speaker at a pro-Palestinian encampment, advocating for financial disclosure and divestment from all companies tied to Israel and calling for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, inside the campus of Columbia University, Sunday, April 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

A protester places a Palestinian flag at a pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University, in New York, Sunday, April 28, 2024, advocating for financial disclosure and divestment from all companies tied to Israel and calling for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

By SAMY MAGDY and LEE KEATH (Associated Press)

CAIRO (AP) — The United States stepped up pressure for a cease-fire deal  in Gaza  on Monday as the secretary of state said a new proposal had been put to Hamas, whose officials were in Cairo talking to Egyptian mediators. Israeli airstrikes killed 26 people in Gaza’s southernmost town of Rafah, according to hospital records.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken,  ahead of a visit to Israel this week , urged Hamas to accept the latest proposal, calling it “extraordinarily generous” on Israel’s part. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

The terms were not made public. But according to an Egyptian official and Israeli media, Israel has softened its position, lowering the number of hostages it demands that Hamas free during the initial six-week phase of the cease-fire in return for the release of hundreds of Palestinians from Israeli prisons.

One question is whether that will be enough to overcome Hamas concerns over the cease-fire’s second phase.

Hamas has demanded assurances that an eventual release of all hostages will bring a complete end to Israel’s nearly seven-month assault in Gaza and a withdrawal of its troops from the devastated territory. Israel has offered only an extended pause, vowing to resume its offensive once it is over. The issue has repeatedly obstructed efforts by U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators during months of talks.

Some Israeli commentators depicted Israel as at a crossroads: Go for a deal with a potential end to the war, bringing benefits that could include normalization of ties with Saudi Arabia, or push ahead with plans including an attack on Rafah in the hope of crushing Hamas and risk international isolation.

Israel’s closest ally, the United States, and others have repeatedly warned against an offensive on Rafah, saying it would bring  a surge in casualties and worsen a humanitarian catastrophe . More than 1 million Palestinians have sought shelter in Rafah after fleeing fighting elsewhere.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 people.

Overnight and Monday morning, Israeli strikes flattened at least three homes where extended families of Palestinians were gathered. The dead included nine women and six children, one them just five days old, according to hospital records and an Associated Press reporter.

“Everyone was sleeping in their beds,” said Mahmoud Abu Taha, whose cousin was killed with his wife and their year-old baby in a house where at least 10 died. “They have nothing to do with anything.”

Egypt has stepped up mediation efforts for a cease-fire deal in hopes of averting an assault on Rafah, on Gaza’s border with Egypt.

An Egyptian official said Israel has lowered the number of hostages it wants freed in the first stage, down from earlier demands for 40. He did not specify the new number. Israeli media said it now seeks the release of 33 hostages in return for the release of some 900 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas is believed to hold around 100 Israelis in Gaza.

Israel has also shown flexibility on allowing residents to return to northern Gaza, the Egyptian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal talks.

There was no immediate comment from Hamas or Israeli officials.

Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected stopping the war in return for hostage releases and says an offensive on Rafah is crucial to destroying Hamas after its Oct. 7 attacks on Israel that triggered the fighting. His government could be threatened if he agrees to a deal, since hardline Cabinet members demand an attack on Rafah.

At the same time, Netanyahu faces pressure to reach a deal from families of hostages.

On Monday, the families of two hostages — Keith Siegel and Omri Miran — urged both sides to reach an agreement, days after Hamas released a video showing the men.

“I appeal to Sinwar, please approve this deal. And to the members of the (Israeli) Cabinet, please approve any deal,” said Omri’s father, Dany Miran, referring to Yehiya Sinwar, the top Hamas official in Gaza. He spoke at a news conference in a Tel Aviv square where supporters of hostage families regularly hold rallies.

Israeli officials, meanwhile, appeared increasingly concerned that the International Criminal Court may issue arrest warrants against the country’s leaders.

It was not clear what sparked the concerns. The ICC launched a  probe three years ago  into possible war crimes committed by Israel and Palestinian militants going back to the 2014 Israel-Hamas war. The probe is also looking at Israel’s construction of settlements in occupied territory the Palestinians want for a future state.

There was no comment from the court on Monday, and  it has given no indication  warrants in the case are imminent.

But Israel’s Foreign Ministry said late Sunday that it had informed Israeli missions of “rumors” that warrants might be issued against senior political and military officials. Netanyahu said Friday that Israel “will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense.”

Neither Israel nor the United States accept the ICC’s jurisdiction, but any warrants could put Israeli officials at risk of arrest in other countries. They would also serve as a major rebuke of Israel’s actions at a time when  pro-Palestinian protests have spread across U.S. college campuses .

The International Court of Justice, a separate body, is investigating  whether Israel has committed acts of genocide  in the ongoing war in Gaza, with any ruling expected to take years. Israel has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and accused both international courts of bias.

In the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, terrorists stormed through army bases and farming communities across southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostages. Israel’s air, sea and ground offensive in Gaza has killed at least 34,488 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally.

Israel blames the high civilian death toll on Hamas because it fights from dense, residential areas. The military says it has killed over 12,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war has driven around 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes and pushed northern Gaza  to the brink of famine .

Associated Press writers Michael Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and Matthew Lee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, contributed.

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Gazans are paying tens of thousands of dollars to an Egyptian company to escape

S ome Gazans who have lost everything are trying to raise tens of thousands of dollars to pay a company with reported ties to Egypt's security state to help them evacuate their families across the border from Rafah.

One of them is Ahmed Jamal, 35, an English teacher whose two small children wake up screaming and crying most nights, wet their beds, hide and won't come out because they are scared they are going to die.

"Our situation is getting worse each day," Jamal said in a phone interview Saturday from his sister's bombed out home in Deir Al-Balah, in central Gaza. "I can't express to you how we are living: hardly any food, no water, not enough gas, no power. People like me don't feel there is anything left to do but leave Gaza."

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Jamal and his sister Amal Nassar, whose challenges being pregnant in Gaza during the war were chronicled by USA TODAY, are hoping that once they have sufficient funds , Hala Consulting and Tourism Services, a travel agency in Cairo connected to Egypt's military and intelligence agencies, will help their families cross the border.

Pregnant women in Gaza Strip: They face starvation, no anesthesia

The situation has become especially acute as fears grow Israel may soon invade Rafah as part of its war aim of rooting out Hamas and securing hostages held since the Oct. 7. attacks . If the invasion goes ahead, it is not immediately clear how the Rafah border crossing will be impacted.

More than 2 million people remain trapped in Gaza , about half of them in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city.

Escape from Gaza

For Palestinians, leaving Gaza for Egypt or anywhere else has never been easy because of a years-long sea, land and air blockade by Israel, which Israel says it needed to ensure its security and protect from threats of terrorism . Before the war, the Erez crossing in north Gaza, controlled by Israel, allowed some Gazans to cross over to Israel for work. For a few hundred dollars, travel companies like Hala helped people journey to Egypt for short stays. But the Erez crossing has been closed since Oct. 7, shuttered by Israel for its military campaign and as a buffer from terrorism threats. And today, Hala is asking Gazans to pay around $5,000 for an adult and $2,500 for a child to help them leave the enclave.

Other Gazans have reported paying even higher fees.

Finding that kind of money is far beyond the means of most Gazans at a time when few are able to work or get basic food and supplies. Many, like Jamal and his sister, are turning to platforms such as GoFundMe , with their money-raising campaigns run by friends, relatives and even well-wishing strangers in the U.S. and Europe.

"I just refuse to rest until families like theirs are safe," said Megan Bayra, a Californian who is helping to coordinate the fund-raising for several Gazan families on GoFundMe, including Jamal's and Nassar's .

Bayra has offered to host Nassar and her three kids in a guest house on her property if they manage first to get to Egypt and then secure a visa or asylum seeker status to travel to the U.S., which is not easy.

Exactly how Hala arranges the crossings from Gaza into Egypt is not fully transparent. The company did not respond to a comment request. What's clear, according to multiple Palestinians who are either in the middle of using its services to arrange to leave or have already left Gaza for Egypt, is that the service can only currently be accessed by having someone in Egypt physically go into its office in Cairo to register and make the payments in cash.

Requiring payment in U.S. dollar

The payment must be in U.S. dollars. A receipt is issued but there is no apparent way to communicate with Hala directly. Instead, those who are registered are asked to monitor lists of names that Hala publishes on its Facebook and Telegram accounts each day that detail who will be allowed to cross into Egypt, and when. Once the payment is made , approval to cross appears, for many, to take at least two weeks.

The payment to Hala includes transportation by bus and an entry permit to Egypt that lasts for at least a year. There can also be extra fees added to the headline price to accelerate the process.

How many Gazans in Egypt not clear

Even before the war, the process by which Gazans have used Egyptian travel services to cross into Gaza spurred allegations the system is susceptible to abuse including bribes, corruption and fake payments, according to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project , a global network of investigative journalists.

For more than a decade, the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing has been overseen by Hamas' interior ministry while Egypt's security forces, including its General Intelligence Service, have controlled the other side. Israel has long monitored the crossing from a nearby military base in coordination with a civilian agency named COGAT. Earlier this year, Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt’s state Information Service , denied what he described as the "unfounded allegations" that Gazans were being charged additional fees to cross the border during the war.

GoFundMe's website does not allow Gazans to start their own campaign pages if they are located inside the territory. It must be done by someone outside Gaza in the U.S. or Europe. The company did not return a request for comment on what security processes it has in place to make sure that third parties who raise money on behalf of Gazans are vetted.

Its website is full of Gazans trying to raise money to pay for Hala's services .

Haisam Hassanein, an Egyptian-American expert on the Middle East at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington foreign policy and national security think tank, said that it is not easy to calculate how many Gazans may have been able escape Gaza for Egypt since the start of the war.

Gazan cafes and restaurants opening near Cairo

However, he said that one indication that many are has been the proliferation of Gazans opening up small businesses such as cafes and restaurants in Cairo and other parts of Egypt. Some are paying social media influencers to market their services. Hassanein said that Hala's service is "an exclusive one for those who have the money. Egypt is interested only in Gazans who have the cash and are going to benefit its economy."

Jamal said that he is doing everything he can to get his family out of Gaza and that virtually everyone he knows in his circle of friends and family are doing the same. He said that he is besides himself with fear for the safety of his wife Anhar, 32, his son Jamal, 4, and daughter Teya, 2. On top of that fear , he feels deep shame , he said, over having to ask strangers to help him raise the money that could be his family's only hope of survival.

More: Pentagon begins building floating pier to ferry humanitarian aid to Gaza

"What else can I do? What else?" he said Saturday, increasingly agitated.

He also said that while his family waits to see if they will be able to leave Gaza , he spends his days trying to distract his children with games of one kind or another. One of their favorite things to do is jump on a trampoline. They have a small one o n f the roof of his sister's building in Deir Al-Balah. It is partly broken.

"I just want them to forget everything around them," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gazans are paying tens of thousands of dollars to an Egyptian company to escape