Israel urges citizens to immediately leave Egypt, Jordan

Israel urged its citizens to immediately leave Egypt and Jordan, the national security council said on Saturday as regional tensions flared over Israel's continued bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip.

"Israel's National Security Council raises its travel warnings for Egypt (including Sinai) and Jordan to level 4 (high threat): recommendation not to travel to these countries and for those staying there to leave… as soon as possible," it said in a statement.

The notice comes just days after Israel recalled its diplomats from Turkey as a security precaution following an earlier request for its citizens to leave as well.

The evacuation calls came after days of protests across the Middle East over Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

The war ignited after Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing 1,400 people.

Israel has since carried out a devastating bombing campaign in the enclave, so far killing 4,385 Palestinians, 70 percent of them women and children.