Early Saturday, October 7th, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise air and ground attack on Israel, where they infiltrated with local militants and targeted the city of Sderot as well as nearby areas. Most of the damage and destruction has occurred into the commonly referenced “Gaza Strip” in the lower southwest corner of Israel, which is currently under Islamic control. Israel has officially submitted their statement that they will be retaliating with force in the upcoming days.
Imagine has worked tirelessly with our overseas partners to assess the situation for the safety of our groups and travelers. At this point in time, we do not have any groups in Israel as the Jewish holidays have just ended, and with several groups expected to leave. We’ve diligently communicated with our tour leaders with trips departing in the coming days and weeks to assure our client’s safety at this time.
Our partners in Israel are closely monitoring this situation as it progresses as well as keeping tabs from our U.S. State Department. As we have more information to share, we will update you here and on our social media channels.
As we stand with Israel and its people, it’s important to remember that these events tend to pass quickly and are not near any sites of tourism.