CASE STUDY: ISRAEL

INCIDENT: Clients were stranded in Israel as Hamas invaded the country, igniting a war between Hamas and Israel.

LOCATION:  Israel

SERVICE: 

• Duty of Care
• Emergency Response
• Emergency Aviation
• Secure Transportation

SITUATION:
In the early morning hours of 07 October 2023, Hamas launched a multifaceted surprise attack on Israel, firing thousands of rockets into the country, reaching Tel Aviv and other central locations, and infiltrating the south via ground force. The attack impacted more than one-third of Israel’s population, with hundreds killed and dozens taken into Gaza as hostages. As a result, Israel declared a State of War.

As the situation unfolded on the ground, Global Guardian’s 24/7 Operations Center immediately geofenced the area to locate any clients on the ground and began proactively reaching out to offer support, while the team fielded calls for assistance across the country. Global Guardian’s on-the-ground team played a critical role in providing real-time ground intelligence as evacuation planning began.

RESPONSE: 
As the situation continues to evolve in the region, Global Guardian has executed dozens of missions and evacuated hundreds of people to date. Below are just some of the outcomes.

Mission A
A group of American employees working for a corporate client headquartered in Israel were stuck at the airport in Tel Aviv trying to leave Israel shortly after the conflict began. When they were unable to get on a flight, they contacted Global Guardian for assistance.

Upon receiving the call, the 24/7 Operations Center team immediately deployed an on-the-ground team to transfer the employees to a hotel where they could rest. The agents stayed with the group overnight while Global Guardian worked to secure private and commercial flight options, leveraging existing connections on the ground and navigating evolving conditions in the area. The team ultimately secured seats on a commercial airline so that the group could leave the next morning to Turkey, and onward to the United States.

While coordinating transportation details, one executive from the company contacted Global Guardian for assistance evacuating family members also located in Israel. Agents from the on-the-ground team were able to locate and pick up the family members within hours of the call and bring them to the hotel with the other employees, providing confirmation to the executive that they were safe

In the morning, our agents escorted the group to the airport in Tel Aviv and stayed with them until they boarded the plane. The group was able to depart Israel just over 24 hours from when the conflict began, and arrived home safely.

Mission B
As part of its proactive outreach about the situation in Israel, Global Guardian notified one corporate client that had dozens of ex-pats residing in different locations in the country. Our team worked seamlessly with the client’s security team to enact the company’s emergency action plan and determine that the employees should be transported home.

Leveraging its local teams and network of aviation partners, Global Guardian secured a private aircraft for the group in Tel Aviv. Additionally, our local team was able to acquire flight permits in less than 24 hours—a process that can typically take up to five days—with its existing relationships in the government. Once all details were confirmed, Global Guardian worked with its client point-of-contact to communicate all important evacuation information to the employees.

As employees arrived at the airport for the flight—some via Global Guardian’s secure car & driver services—agents from our local team were there to greet them and ensure they had a smooth check-in and boarding process. As the plane departed—48 hours after the client’s initial call—our team provided constant updates to all key stakeholders until the group landed safely in Cyprus, where they connected to flights to destinations around the world. Three days later, Global Guardian secured additional seats on a charter plane to transport a second group of employees to safety.

Mission C
Three days following the attack in Israel, Global Guardian received a call from a corporate client who needed assistance bringing one executive residing in Jerusalem to safety across the border to Jordan.

Using intelligence from its on-the-ground teams, Global Guardian’s 24/7 Operations Center immediately began planning a route via ground transportation and determined the best time to execute the evacuation based on the situation at the border, where only a small number of crossings were allowed per day. Working with our client point of contact, our team communicated all details to the executive so they would know what to expect.

Two days after the client’s call, in the early morning hours, agents from our ground team drove the executive from Jerusalem to the border at Jordan. Leveraging existing relationships with officials, our agents were able to secure the executive a spot in line at the crossing. Once over the border, Global Guardian’s team in Jordan met the executive and brought them to a safe location. During the evacuation, updates were constantly communicated to all key stakeholders involved.

Mission D
Global Guardian’s 24/7 Opertions Center located a family client staying in Tel Aviv and immediately reached out via the mobile app to ensure their safety and provide support. The client required assistance getting home and requested help for two other families they had met while staying in their hotel.

Our Operations Center analysts worked to secure air transportation for all the families, leveraging commercial and private options amid the evolving situation with air space and flight permits. The team was able to book seats on a commercial flight, while providing constant updates to the clients on the progress.

Local agents from Global Guardian’s ground team arrived at the clients’ hotel to provide secure ground transportation to the airport, where the clients boarded the commercial flight and took off from Israel within 12 hours of the conflict outbreak.

Thanks to Global Guardian’s on-the-ground teams and resources and the swift action of its 24/7 Operations Center, we were able to assist hundreds of clients in real-time with emergency response and evacuation, secure transportation, and welfare checks and supply delivery—during an active war.