Travelers at Ben Gurion International Airport
Travelers at Ben Gurion International AirportFlash 90

As part of his efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19's Omicron variant, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is looking to ban, nearly completely, the exit of Israelis to most countries in the world, Channel 12 News reported.

On Sunday, Bennett is expected to propose to the government a decision which would mean an almost complete closure of Israel's skies to Israelis wishing to travel abroad. This would include those wishing to travel to the US.

According to the report, Bennett said in closed discussions that, "Any minister who votes against the actions now will bear responsibility for the outbreak. I expect all of the ministers to understand the enormity of this event and not to give in to public pressure or to pressure by lobbyists."

The Health Ministry is also examining additional steps in order to reduce the spread of Omicron in Israel. Among the restrictions being examined is one which would restrict gatherings, starting from next week.

On Friday, Israel's Health Ministry reported that 45 new cases of Omicron were diagnosed, bringing the total number of cases to 134. Another 307 cases of Omicron are suspected, but the results of the sequencing have not yet been received.

Eighty-six of the Omicron carriers recently returned from travel abroad, and 28 of the carriers were in contact with someone who recently returned from abroad. The remaining 20 do not know the source of their Omicron infections.