The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday evening issued a recommendation to Israelis not to travel to the Greek island of Rhodes until the state of emergency declared on the island is lifted.
"Greece is in the midst of an unusual weather system, which includes extreme temperatures reaching up to 45 degrees Celsius. Severe fires are affecting the entire island of Rhodes. Due to the current state of emergency, we recommend not to travel to the island until the state of emergency is lifted," the advisory reads.
It also states that "Israelis staying in areas affected by the fires are asked to obey the instructions of the emergency authorities in Greece and to inform the embassy via the emergency hotline 00302106705500 about their location and their contact details."
The ministry also published a similar announcement regarding Sicily, where there has also been extreme weather. "Due to extreme weather, the area of Sicily in Italy is plagued by fires in several hotspots. Israelis staying in Sicily must obey the instructions of the local authorities and security bodies, must be regularly updated on developments and notices of evacuation from the area of the fires. The general telephone number for reporting an emergency situation: 112, the telephone number for contacting the embassy: 00 39 636198547."
In addition, the advisory noted that "for those planning to travel to Sicily, it is recommended to follow the updates in the media, to contact the hotels and accommodations - and to make sure that arrival at the place is possible and safe. In light of disruptions in the landing of planes in the area, and the fact that the airport in the city of Palermo operates in a limited format, it is recommended to be updated in advance through the announcements of the airlines."