Safety in Israel: what overland travellers should know
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 17 August 2026.
Safety
- Volatile situation — The security picture remains volatile and unpredictable. Before you go, find out the emergency procedures and the local instructions that apply where you will be staying.
- Rocket alerts and shelters — Missile attacks are normally announced by sirens and by push notifications to mobile phones, and the Israeli Home Front Command publishes what to do. Work out where the shelters nearest to you are before you need them, and note that the official alert site can only be reached from inside Israel on an Israeli SIM.
- Borders to avoid — The areas near the Lebanese border and the northern Golan are absolutely advised against, and so are the parts of Israeli territory close to the Gaza Strip. All travel into the Gaza Strip itself, for any reason, is absolutely advised against.
- West Bank — Israeli military and security operations are frequent in the West Bank, particularly around Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarem and Tubas. Violent incidents also occur around Israeli settlements, above all near Nablus, in the Jordan Valley and south of Hebron.
- Sinai border, Route 12 — Keep travel through the desert areas bordering Sinai to the strict minimum: criminal activity is reported there and terrorist cells may be present. The same caution applies along Route 12.
- Terrorism — The risk of attacks remains high, although attacks on tourists and pilgrims have been rare. With the picture changing constantly, incidents that affect visitors indirectly cannot be ruled out.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 17 August 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Israel before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 17 August 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.