Since 07 October 23 Israel has been facing military conflicts in the area around the Gaza Strip. Due to this situation, the german Federal Foreign Office warns against travelling to the Gaza Strip and strongly advises against traveling to Israel and the Palestinian Territories. 

Insurance cover in Israel: Important information 

In such uncertain times, many insurers do not provide cover if travelers are in war zones or in countries for which the Federal Foreign Office has issued a travel warning. This currently also applies to Israel.  

In principle, our PROTRIP and PROTRIP-WORLD insurance also provides cover in countries for which a travel warning has been stated. Of course, active participation in acts of war is always excluded. 

If the insurer does not generally exclude travel warnings in the insurance conditions and only active participation is prohibited in the war clause, insurance cover exists despite the current situation in Israel. However, it should be noted that due to the constantly changing situation on the ground, safe medical care cannot be guaranteed. In addition, medical return transports are difficult due to the restricted air traffic.  

For example, our medical service provider MD Medicus is currently no longer able to organise medical evacuations from the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, medical evacuations are only possible after individual verification and under strict security measures. 

However, it is important to stress that primary health care and hospitals in Israel are fully up and running. There are currently no restrictions on patient care in Israel. 

Medical evacuations from Israel by air ambulance are still possible. MD Medicus is working with three partner organisations in Israel who can provide additional logistical support and Israeli aircraft if required. 

Departure options from Israel 

The ongoing conflict is having a significant impact on air travel. Lufthansa is planning evacuation flights for Germans in Israel in the coming days. Stranded Germans are asked to register on the crisis precaution list (ELEFAND). The German Embassy in Tel Aviv also informs that those wishing to leave the country can book flights with stopovers in Cyprus or Turkey. Alternatively, it is also possible to leave the country by land to Jordan. 

Trip interruption insurance and trip cancellation insurance for trips to Israel 

If you were already in Israel when the military clashes began, this will affect your travel interruption insurance. As long as there was no travel warning for Israel from the Foreign Office at the time of your departure, there is insurance cover. Your insurer will usually set a time limit within which you must leave the country, if this is possible. In such a case, rebooking costs, for example, will be covered. Please note that there are different regulations depending on the insurer and that the exact insurance conditions are decisive. 

If your trip has not yet started, it is up to the tour operator to offer an alternative for the trip without charges or to cancel the trip. Travel warnings or warlike events in the destination country are generally not an accepted reason for cancelling a trip and are therefore not insured. 

Take note of special regulations 

In addition, we would like to emphasise that our AIDWORKER travel health insurance also includes insurance cover for travel to countries for which a travel warning has been or will be stated by the Federal Foreign Office. This also includes Israel. We understand that every travel situation is unique and requires individual consideration.  

Therefore, we strongly recommend that our policyholders read the specific terms and conditions of the insurance carefully and contact us directly if in doubt. As stated in the insurance conditions, the insurer reserves the right to redefine regulations in such exceptional situations. In this case, customers would of course be given a lead time so that appropriate action can be taken. 

Please note that special regulations may also apply in certain cases, such as for accident insurance. It is advisable to contact our experts to find out about the exact conditions and restrictions. Our primary goal is to provide you with the best possible protection and comprehensive support in every situation.