Governments and airlines are stepping up efforts to remove thousands of tourists from Israel and repatriate Israelis abroad amid escalating violence following weekend attacks by Hamas.

Israeli carrier El Al said today and Thursday it will operate 12 additional flights to and from Athens, Rome, Madrid, Bucharest, New York, Paris, Larnaca and Istanbul. Its low-cost subsidiary Sun Dor is also planning more flights from Istanbul. El Al had already announced that it would operate one additional flight from New York and another six to and from Larnaca.

Most foreign airlines have suspended or drastically reduced their routes to and from Tel Aviv and for the passengers it is uncertain how they will leave Israel or return to it.

Consular services are struggling to respond to requests for help and are prioritizing those whose relatives are missing.

In an unusual move, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky told reporters he had taken 34 Czechs from Israel with him on the government plane after making a stopover in that country on his way back from Oman.

The minister, the first from a foreign country to be in Israel after the attacks, did not rule out sending another plane to repatriate the Czechs who remain there.

Lipafsky arrived in Israel on Tuesday afternoon and landed in Prague early this morning.

“I spoke to our citizens. They tried to contact the airlines several times, but there was no line” he said.

Denmark also announced that it is offering to remove its citizens and permanent residents from Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. For this purpose, it is preparing to send a C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft to Israel.

El Al, whose planes are equipped with laser-guided anti-missile systems, said earlier this week that it was trying to meet the needs of many Israelis who would have flown with other airlines but had their flights cancelled.

“We have increased flights at many airports around the world and will continue,” he stressed.

Other countries are discussing with airlines the repatriation of their citizens.

At the request of the German government, Lufthansa will undertake the repatriation of German citizens from Israel with “many” special flights tomorrow and the day after. According to the foreign ministry, around 4,500 Germans have said they want to leave the country, including several school classes on a field trip and several youth groups.

Norwegian Air, which has suspended flights to and from Israel until December 19, said it would operate an emergency flight to Tel Aviv to pick up Norwegians and other Scandinavian citizens.

Passengers have another problem to deal with: tthe high cost of tickets, especially for those who want to leave Israel. El Al said on Tuesday it would take care to keep costs low for reservists returning to Israel, and its most expensive tickets are those on flights from the US, which go up to $900.

However, according to online booking sites, one-way tickets (non-return) from Israel to London or New York can cost thousands of dollars because airlines have drastically reduced or altered their itineraries.

In addition to Germany, several other countries have already started or are planning to repatriate their citizens:

Argentina:

Argentina, home to a sizable Jewish community, began repatriating some 1,200 of its citizens on Tuesday, sending a first military aircraft to Tel Aviv.

Brazil:

The government plans to mobilize at least six aircraft to repatriate those who want to leave Israel and the Palestinian Territories. About 14,000 Brazilians live in Israel and another 6,000 in the Palestinian Territories. Some have already left on commercial flights.

Canada:

The government will organize special flights from Tel Aviv within the next few days. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that military aircraft would be sent to pick up the Canadian citizens and take them to Athens.

South Korea

A Korean Air plane landed early this morning at Incheon International Airport, carrying 192 South Koreans from Tel Aviv. Another 30 will depart within the week on commercial flights and 27 pilgrims to Israel will travel by road to Jordan.

Denmark:

“Within the next few days” those Danish citizens who wish will be repatriated. About 1,200 live today in Israel and another 90 in the Palestinian territories.

Spain:

A Spanish Air Force A330 landed early today at a military base near Madrid carrying more than 200 Spaniards, Europeans and third-country nationals living permanently in Spain. A second plane later took off to pick up more Spanish citizens from Tel Aviv.

Finland:

Helsinki intends to organize the removal of Finns and third-country nationals who are permanent residents of Finland.

France:

The government announced yesterday that an emergency Air France flight would take place on Thursday as part of “an operation coordinated by the foreign ministry’s crisis management center” to repatriate French nationals who have not yet managed to leave Israel.

Iceland:

A commercial aircraft will be sent to Israel to pick up the approximately 120 Icelanders stranded in the area.

Nigeria:

The government repatriated 310 citizens who were on religious tourism in Israel and managed to reach Jordan by road. The pilgrims were traveling from Bethlehem to Nazareth when they were informed that a Hamas attack was underway in southern Israel.

Norway:

A flight will take place this evening from Tel Aviv to Oslo. About 500 Norwegians live in Israel and another 100 in the Palestinian territories.

Portugal:

This morning, 152 Portuguese and 14 other Europeans were repatriated on a TAP Air Portugal flight from Cyprus, where they had been transported on Monday by a military aircraft sent to Israel.

Sweden:

Stockholm is organizing the evacuation, but exactly when the planes will depart has not been announced. About 3,000 Swedes live in Israel and another 800 in the Palestinian territories.

Switzerland:

A first aircraft of the Swiss company carried about 220 Swiss citizens on Tuesday. A second flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv will take place today, at the request of the Foreign Ministry. About 28,000 Swiss citizens and their families live in Israel and the Palestinian territories.