Thousands of Israelis begin returning home on special flights after airport shutdown prompted by military strike on Iran.
By David Brummer, World Israel News
Israel began repatriating thousands of its citizens stranded overseas on Wednesday, launching a large-scale airlift operation reported the Jewish News Syndicate.
The large-scale mission was undertaken after Ben-Gurion International Airport was closed in the aftermath of the preemptive strike on Iranian military and nuclear facilities.
The first of the so-called “Safe Return” flights, operated by national airline El Al, landed outside Tel Aviv early Wednesday morning, carrying passengers from nearby Larnaca, Cyprus.
In total, four Israeli airlines—El Al, Arkia, Israir, and the newly established Air Haifa—are coordinating the rescue operation, running multiple daily flights from select European cities.
The airlift comes after last week’s Israeli strike on Iranian targets prompted Israel to close its airspace due to the risk of ballistic missile fire and led to cascading flight cancellations throughout the region.
Ben Gurion Airport was shuttered to outgoing flights, leaving an estimated 150,000 Israelis stuck overseas.
According to Israeli officials, the repatriation flights are operating from cities like Larnaca, Athens, Paris, Rome, Milan, Budapest, and London.
All tickets are reserved for passengers whose original return flights were canceled, and seats sold out quickly.
“We are very emotional about receiving the first rescue flight as part of the ‘Safe Return’ operation,” said Transportation Minister Miri Regev in a message to the El Al flight crew before landing.
From the airport’s control tower, she added, “We are waiting for all of you.”
Regev, who spearheaded the operation, had earlier drawn public ire after suggesting that stranded Israelis “enjoy their time abroad.”
On Wednesday, she adopted a more serious tone as she oversaw the initial arrivals.
Upon landing, returnees were quickly processed through customs and baggage claim before being transported to long-term parking lots, trains, or free shuttles to major cities.
Due to heightened security concerns, the public was asked not to come to the airport to greet relatives.
With Israeli airspace remaining closed to outbound commercial flights through at least Monday, tourists inside the country are now facing their own challenge.
About 38,000 foreign visitors are believed to be stuck in Israel, most with limited options for departure, reported Reuters.
The Tourism Ministry launched an online registration portal on Tuesday to coordinate exit flights once they resume.
Some tourists have already exited the country by land to Jordan and Egypt, despite official warnings.
Meanwhile, other countries are scrambling to evacuate their own nationals from the region.
China bused its citizens from Tehran to Turkmenistan, while hundreds of foreign nationals have crossed from Iran into Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Israeli aviation officials warned that the full repatriation effort could take weeks.
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