Foreign Office urgent travel warning for 17 countries issued as crisis 'changing fast'

The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for a number of countries including Egypt and Morocco as of September 29

Brits eyeing a winter escape to Egypt or Morocco have been warned with an urgent travel alert from the UK Foreign Office.

The government agency has amplified its counsel for jet-setters planning trips to over 17 countries as of September 29. The developments come in the wake of Israel's retaliation against Hezbollah's rockets with airstrikes on Lebanon.

In a dramatic turn of events, Israel's offensive has ramped up, deploying tanks into Lebanese territory, while Iran has fired missiles in a tit-for-tat aggression.

According to guidelines issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO): "Ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region. Monitor this travel advice and other media as the situation is changing fast."

Tourists planning to visit Tunisia, Jordan, Oman, or Qatar should take special note of this advisory. Despite the warning, the FCDO isn't dissuading UK holidaymakers from visiting these locations, except for specific border zones.

Travellers are being urged to stay abreast of travel advisories before heading to any country currently tagged with a warning. Should the guidance intensify to discourage all travel, those with bookings can anticipate full reimbursements from tour operators, reports the Express.

However, if you preemptively end your travels without an official cautionary signal, chances are you won't see a penny returned.

In light of the recent incident, airlines are rerouting to avoid Middle Eastern airspace. Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have opted to fly over Egypt instead of Israel.

This cautionary measure comes after the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by an Israeli rocket strike in the Lebanese capital of Beirut last Friday. Hezbollah has since declared its readiness to combat an Israeli ground offensive.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reports that over 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past fortnight, with nearly a quarter being women and children.

For information on whether a specific area is affected by the FCDO's warnings, visit the Government's foreign travel advice for all countries.