Israel launches airlift to bring home stranded citizens after Iran strike
TEL AVIV, June 18 (Reuters) - Israel began flying home citizens stranded abroad on Wednesday, launching a phased airlift operation after the country's surprise military strike on Iran left tens of thousands of Israelis stuck overseas.
The first rescue flight, operated by national carrier El Al (ELAL.TA), opens new tab, touched down at Ben Gurion Airport early Wednesday morning, bringing home passengers from Larnaca, Cyprus.
Worldwide, Israel's transport ministry estimates that more than 50,000 stranded Israelis are trying to come home.
El Al has said repatriation flights are already scheduled from Athens, Rome, Milan and Paris. Smaller rivals Arkia and Israir (ISRG.TA), opens new tab are also taking part in the operation.
"We are preparing for the airlift to bring all Israelis home," Transportation Minister Miri Regev told the captain of the arriving El Al flight before it landed, according to a statement released by the Israeli Aviation Authority.
"We are very emotional about receiving the first rescue flight as part of 'Safe Return'. Land safely," she added.
Tel Aviv's airport has been closed to passenger traffic since Israel launched its attack on Friday.
The Airports Authority reinforced staffing on Wednesday to ensure the arriving passengers exited the airport quickly. They were shuttled to their parked vehicles or transported via train and bus to city centres nationwide.
The operation is being carried out in stages, based on risk levels and security assessments, with an emphasis on the safety of passengers, flight crews, and aircraft, a spokesperson for the airports authority said.
Relatives were advised to avoid travelling to airports for security reasons.
Iran has fired more than 400 ballistic missiles at Israel since Friday, a large number of them targeting the Tel Aviv area. At least 24 people have died so far in the strikes.
There are still be no passenger flights leaving Israel, meaning up to 40,000 tourists are stranded in the country. El Al has cancelled all scheduled flights through to June 23.
Large numbers of Israelis seeking to get home have converged on Cyprus, the European Union member state closest to Israel. Flights from the coastal city of Larnaca to Tel Aviv take 50 minutes.
Nine flights were expected to depart Cyprus Wednesday for Haifa, and four for Tel Aviv, carrying about 1,000 people, sources in Cypriot airport operator Hermes said.
Cruise operator Mano Maritime, whose "Crown Iris" ship carries 2,000 passengers, has said it will make two crossings from Cyprus to Israel's Mediterranean port city of Haifa.
Earlier on Wednesday, a cruise ship arrived in Cyprus carrying 1,500 participants to a Jewish heritage programme who had left Israel on Tuesday.
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Reuters
29 minutes ago
- Reuters
Israel to resume natural gas exports when military deems it's safe, energy minister says
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BBC News
36 minutes ago
- BBC News
Transport secretary confirms HS2 delay, calling the project an 'appalling mess'
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Update: Date: 12:14 BST Title: Inquiry into grooming gangs will have statutory powers - Rayner Content: This video can not be played Rayner thanks Philp for his "tone", adding it is right to look at what happened over the last few decades regarding the grooming gangs, to restore the confidence people need in the inquiry. We will take that forward "at speed," she says. She adds the inquiry, led by Baroness Casey, will be "independent, have statutory powers" and will implement the Jay report - an independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. Update: Date: 12:11 BST Title: Philp questions Rayner on grooming gangs Content: This video can not be played Shadow home secretary Philp begins by saying that yesterday he and his party leader met with survivors of the "rape gang scandal". He says the survivors told them that authorities "deliberately covered up the systematic rape of young girls and some boys by gangs of predominantly Pakistani-heritage men". 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Daily Mail
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EU 'could hike £6 fee for Brits to enter the bloc' to help pay off monster £200bn Covid debt
The EU could hike charges for Brits to enter the bloc as part of efforts to pay off massive £200billion Covid debts, it was claimed today. A new levy could top up the seven euro - £6 - fee that will be due when the new ETIAS system takes effect, currently scheduled for the end of next year. Under the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, arrivals from 60 countries with visa-free deals - including the UK and US - will need to pay for a travel pass. It will be valid for up to three years, and is billed as a way of streamlining border processes. However, according to Politico, states are pushing for the charge to be increased in negotiations for the EU Commission's budget proposal next month. Finances are under pressure from the £200billion of debt issued to finance recovery from the pandemic in 2021. 'It seems that there is a possibility of a gradual increase of the fee, strengthening the long-term revenue potential,' the Polish rotating Council presidency is said to have written in an internal note. A Commission spokesman told the site 'a possible adjustment of the fee' was being mooted to account for inflation since levy was adopted in 2018. The UK has a similar charge for visitors from the EU. The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which took effect earlier this year, costs £16 and last two years. But the ETIAS increase would be a blow for UK travellers who are already facing disruption from the new EU's entry-exit system due to be introduced in October. This will replace the need for people arriving in the EU from non-member countries such as the UK to have their passports stamped. Instead, they will need to have their fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken to register them on a database, with the data stored for three years. But there are fears this will cause queues at EU airports, as well as at the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel's terminal in Folkestone and London's St Pancras railway station, where French border checks are carried out before people embark on cross-Channel journeys. Keir Starmer claimed to have secured Brits access to e-gates in his post-Brexit 'reset' with the EU last month. However, it is unclear how much help that will be as individual countries still need to implement measures.
