UK advises citizens in Israel to register with British authorities

KANANASKIS, Alberta (Reuters) -Britain on Monday advised its citizens in Israel to register their presence with the British government, saying it wanted to build up a picture of who is in the region in case they need assistance.

Israel began bombing Iran on Friday, saying Tehran was on the verge of building a nuclear weapon. Iran, which has always said its nuclear programme is peaceful, has retaliated by firing missiles at major Israeli cities.

"For British nationals in Israel, we're giving advice today to register their presence," Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters at a G7 summit in Canada.

Starmer's spokesperson, speaking at a separate briefing in London, said officials wanted to gather information on British citizens in the region.

"Our key message to British nationals in Israel is to follow the advice of local authorities on staying close to shelter," they said.

"We are also launching a 'register your presence' portal for British nationals in the country in order to build a clearer picture of who is in the region and may need assistance.

"We urge British nationals in Israel to complete this when it becomes available."

The spokesperson said Britain was increasing logistical support for its citizens leaving Israel by land via Jordan and Egypt. Foreign Office officials were already in place at the Jordanian border, they added.

(Reporting by Suzanne Plunkett in Kananaskis and Elizabeth Piper in London, Writing by William James, Editing by Sachin Ravikumar)