Israeli Airline Prepares to Bring Home Stranded Travelers Amid Conflict

As conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies, El Al is set to commence recovery operations to bring back stranded Israeli nationals from major European cities.

El Al, the national airline of Israel, has announced that it will initiate recovery flights for Israelis stranded abroad due to the ongoing conflict with Iran, which has led to the closure of Israeli airspace. The airline received governmental approval to operate these flights starting on Wednesday from several cities, including Athens, Rome, Milan, Paris, and Larnaca, Cyprus.

The decision comes on the fifth day of violent engagements between Israel and Iran, which has left around 100,000 to 150,000 Israeli citizens trapped overseas since the airspace was shut down last Friday. El Al stated that the available flights are already fully booked, prioritizing passengers according to the dates of their original flight cancellations and urgent medical needs.

As no outbound flights from Israel are currently operating, it remains uncertain when foreign visitors in Israel will be able to depart. Additionally, the Israeli National Security Council has warned against return options through the Jordanian or Egyptian borders due to security threats.

To aid those stranded, the Israeli cruise company Mano Maritime is also set to operate a cruise ship, departing from Limassol, Cyprus, on Thursday. The vessel can accommodate 2,000 passengers, and the journey to Israel is expected to take roughly 16 hours. After its inaugural trip, the ship will return to Cyprus to collect more passengers.

Despite these efforts, some Israeli nationals are contemplating extending their stay abroad, given the escalating violence and limited prospects for peace. The conflict has resulted in significant casualties, with reports indicating that at least 24 people have died and around 600 injured within Israel, while casualties in Iran have surpassed 200, with injuries over 1,400.