Latest news with #JustinJoyner
NDTV
13 hours ago
- NDTV
Tourists Stranded In Israel As Sirens Sound, Missiles Fly, Planes Grounded
Jerusalem: Woken by air raid sirens, hurrying to bomb shelters, scouring travel sites for escape routes — thousands of tourists in Israel have found their holiday plans upended by the country's conflict with Iran. Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran in the early hours of Friday, shutting down the national airspace and telling people to remain where they were as the arch Middle East foes traded deadly blows. The violence has left around 40,000 tourists blocked in Israel, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Airlines are cancelling flights until further notice, leaving travellers to decide whether to wait it out or seek costly detours through neighbouring countries. Justin Joyner, from California, is on holiday in Jerusalem with his father John, who lives in Nevada, and his son. They had expected some possible disruption, with Israel locked in a months-long conflict against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. But, like most locals, they did not foresee a whole new war. "We didn't expect Israel to attack Iran. That is a completely different level of escalation," Joyner said from his hotel in East Jerusalem, which, for the past two nights, has seen Iranian ballistic missiles flash overhead like a rain of meteorites. "It's unsettling to feel the shockwaves of intercepted missiles above you, and to take your family down to a bomb shelter. That's just something we don't think about in America," he said. Dr. Greer Glazer, who lives in Cleveland and was in Jerusalem for a nursing training program, faces a race down 10 flights of stairs in her hotel to reach the shelter when sirens sound -- as they have done regularly since Friday night. "I feel safe," she said, "but waking from a dead sleep and running to the safe room, that's been the hardest. My family is scared to death ... They think it's 24/7 destruction, but it's not like that." THE JORDAN ROUTE Glazer had been due to return home on June 29, but is looking to bring forward her departure. The easiest exit route is via land crossings into neighbouring Jordan and then a flight out of Amman airport which has been operating in daylight hours. Israeli media reported that the transgender U.S. influencer Caitlyn Jenner, who only flew into Israel on Thursday for Tel Aviv's since-canceled Gay Pride Parade, had left through Jordan. Hours earlier, she had been photographed drinking a glass of red wine in a bomb shelter. "What an incredible way it has been to celebrate Shabbat," she wrote on X. Not everyone is rushing to leave. Karen Tuhrim is visiting from London to see her daughter, who lives in Tel Aviv. "Within two days of being here, Israel attacked Iran. So now I'm stuck," she said. Unlike Jerusalem, Tel Aviv has taken direct hits from the Iranian missiles and Tuhrim has had to dip in and out of her hotel's shelter. But she said she felt safe and was happy to be near her daughter. "For me, personally, at the moment, I feel better being here than in London, watching it all on the news, knowing my daughter is here. So, for now, we're good." Israel's Ministry of Tourism has set up a round-the-clock virtual help desk in English and Hebrew for stranded travellers. But for anyone stuck here, all the museums are closed until further notice, entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem is barred to non-residents and many shops remain shuttered. "The streets and shops are empty," said Jerusalem resident Anwar Abu Lafi, who saw no quick end to the gloom. "People are yearning for a break, to find something good in this existing darkness. We are deluding ourselves into thinking that the future will be better," he said.
Gulf Today
13 hours ago
- Gulf Today
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel as missiles fly, planes grounded
Woken by air raid sirens, hurrying to bomb shelters, scouring travel sites for escape routes - thousands of tourists in Israel have found their holiday plans upended by the country's conflict with Iran. Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran in the early hours of Friday, shutting down the national airspace and telling people to remain where they were as the arch Middle East foes traded deadly blows. The violence has left around 40,000 tourists blocked in Israel, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Airlines are cancelling flights until further notice, leaving travellers to decide whether to wait it out or seek costly detours through neighbouring countries. Justin Joyner, from California, is on holiday in Jerusalem with his father John, who lives in Nevada, and his son. They had expected some possible disruption, with Israel locked in a months-long conflict against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. But, like most locals, they did not foresee a whole new war. People take cover in a shelter during a siren-call warning of incoming missiles from Iran in the city of Bat Yam. AFP "We didn't expect Israel to attack Iran. That is a completely different level of escalation," Joyner said from his hotel in East Jerusalem, which, for the past two nights, has seen Iranian ballistic missiles flash overhead like a rain of meteorites. "It's unsettling to feel the shockwaves of intercepted missiles above you, and to take your family down to a bomb shelter. That's just something we don't think about in America," he said. Dr Greer Glazer, who lives in Cleveland and was in Jerusalem for a nursing training programme, faces a race down 10 flights of stairs in her hotel to reach the shelter when sirens sound — as they have done regularly since Friday night. "I feel safe," she said, "but waking from a dead sleep and running to the safe room, that's been the hardest. My family is scared to death ... They think it's 24/7 destruction, but it's not like that." THE JORDAN ROUTE Glazer had been due to return home on June 29, but is looking to bring forward her departure. The easiest exit route is via land crossings into neighbouring Jordan and then a flight out of Amman airport which has been operating in daylight hours. Karen Tuhrim is visiting from London to see her daughter, who lives in Tel Aviv. "Within two days of being here, Israel attacked Iran. So now I'm stuck," she said. Israeli rescuers search through the rubble at the site of an overnight Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam. AFP Unlike Jerusalem, Tel Aviv has taken direct hits from the Iranian missiles and Tuhrim has had to dip in and out of her hotel's shelter. But she said she felt safe and was happy to be near her daughter. "For me, personally, at the moment, I feel better being here than in London, watching it all on the news, knowing my daughter is here. So, for now, we're good." Israel's Ministry of Tourism has set up a round-the-clock virtual help desk in English and Hebrew for stranded travellers. But for anyone stuck here, all the museums are closed until further notice, entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem is barred to non-residents and many shops remain shuttered. "The streets and shops are empty," said Jerusalem resident Anwar Abu Lafi, who saw no quick end to the gloom. "People are yearning for a break, to find something good in this existing darkness. We are deluding ourselves into thinking that the future will be better," he said. Reuters
Business Recorder
16 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Tourists stranded in Israel as sirens sound, missiles fly, planes grounded
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Woken by air raid sirens, hurrying to bomb shelters, scouring travel sites for escape routes — thousands of tourists in Israel have found their holiday plans upended by the country's conflict with Iran. Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran in the early hours of Friday, shutting down the national airspace and telling people to remain where they were as the arch Middle East foes traded deadly blows. The violence has left around 40,000 tourists blocked in Israel, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Airlines are cancelling flights until further notice, leaving travellers to decide whether to wait it out or seek costly detours through neighbouring countries. Justin Joyner, from California, is on holiday in Jerusalem with his father John, who lives in Nevada, and his son. They had expected some possible disruption, with Israel locked in a months-long conflict against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. But, like most locals, they did not foresee a whole new war. 'We didn't expect Israel to attack Iran. That is a completely different level of escalation,' Joyner said from his hotel in East Jerusalem, which, for the past two nights, has seen Iranian ballistic missiles flash overhead like a rain of meteorites. 'It's unsettling to feel the shockwaves of intercepted missiles above you, and to take your family down to a bomb shelter. That's just something we don't think about in America,' he said. Dr. Greer Glazer, who lives in Cleveland and was in Jerusalem for a nursing training program, faces a race down 10 flights of stairs in her hotel to reach the shelter when sirens sound — as they have done regularly since Friday night. 'I feel safe,' she said, 'but waking from a dead sleep and running to the safe room, that's been the hardest. My family is scared to death ... They think it's 24/7 destruction, but it's not like that.' Glazer had been due to return home on June 29, but is looking to bring forward her departure. The easiest exit route is via land crossings into neighbouring Jordan and then a flight out of Amman airport which has been operating in daylight hours. Israeli media reported that the transgender US influencer Caitlyn Jenner, who only flew into Israel on Thursday for Tel Aviv's since-canceled Gay Pride Parade, had left through Jordan. Hours earlier, she had been photographed drinking a glass of red wine in a bomb shelter. 'What an incredible way it has been to celebrate Shabbat,' she wrote on X.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Missiles overhead, sirens blare, flights cancelled: What life looks like for over 40,000 tourists trapped in war-hit Israel
Thousands of tourists in Israel have seen their travel plans ruined after the country's sudden conflict with Iran. Air raid sirens have woken people in the middle of the night, many have rushed to bomb shelters, and some are now searching online for escape routes. According to Reuters, Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran early Friday, closing its airspace and asking people to stay indoors. Around 40,000 tourists are now stuck in the country, the Ministry of Tourism said. Many airlines have cancelled flights until further notice, forcing travellers to either wait or take expensive detours through nearby countries. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ile-de-france : le programme panneaux solaires 2025 est lancé ! France Éco Infos En savoir plus Undo Justin Joyner, a tourist from California, is visiting Jerusalem with his father and son. He told Reuters they were prepared for some problems due to the ongoing conflict with Hamas, but didn't expect a war with Iran. 'We didn't expect Israel to attack Iran. That is a completely different level of escalation,' Joyner said from his hotel in East Jerusalem, where Iranian missiles have been seen overhead at night. Live Events 'It's unsettling to feel the shockwaves of intercepted missiles above you, and to take your family down to a bomb shelter. That's just something we don't think about in America,' he added. Dr Greer Glazer, from Cleveland in the US, is in Jerusalem for a nursing training programme. She told Reuters she has to run down 10 floors to reach the shelter when sirens go off. 'I feel safe,' she said. 'But waking from a dead sleep and running to the safe room, that's been the hardest. My family is scared to death… They think it's 24/7 destruction, but it's not like that.' Travelling through Jordan Dr Glazer had planned to return home on 29 June but is now trying to leave earlier. The easiest way out is through land borders with Jordan and then a flight from Amman, where the airport is still working during the day. Reuters also reported that US influencer Caitlyn Jenner, who had flown in for Tel Aviv's now-cancelled Pride Parade, left Israel through Jordan. Hours before, she had posted a photo of herself drinking wine in a bomb shelter, writing: 'What an incredible way it has been to celebrate Shabbat.' But not everyone is trying to leave right away. Karen Tuhrim, visiting from London to see her daughter in Tel Aviv, told Reuters: 'Within two days of being here, Israel attacked Iran. So now I'm stuck.' She said Tel Aviv had taken direct hits from Iranian missiles, but she still felt safer being close to her daughter than watching the news from the UK. 'For me, personally, at the moment, I feel better being here than in London, watching it all on the news, knowing my daughter is here. So, for now, we're good,' she said. Israel's Tourism Ministry has opened a 24-hour help desk in English and Hebrew to assist stranded tourists. However, with museums shut, the Old City of Jerusalem closed to outsiders, and many shops locked, the situation remains tense. 'The streets and shops are empty,' local resident Anwar Abu Lafi told Reuters. 'People are yearning for a break, to find something good in this existing darkness. We are deluding ourselves into thinking that the future will be better.' Inputs from Reuters
Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Tourists stranded in Israel as sirens sound, missiles fly, planes grounded
JERUSALEM, June 15 (Reuters) - Woken by air raid sirens, hurrying to bomb shelters, scouring travel sites for escape routes — thousands of tourists in Israel have found their holiday plans upended by the country's conflict with Iran. Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran in the early hours of Friday, shutting down the national airspace and telling people to remain where they were as the arch Middle East foes traded deadly blows. The violence has left around 40,000 tourists blocked in Israel, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Airlines are cancelling flights until further notice, leaving travellers to decide whether to wait it out or seek costly detours through neighbouring countries. Justin Joyner, from California, is on holiday in Jerusalem with his father John, who lives in Nevada, and his son. They had expected some possible disruption, with Israel locked in a months-long conflict against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. But, like most locals, they did not foresee a whole new war. "We didn't expect Israel to attack Iran. That is a completely different level of escalation," Joyner said from his hotel in East Jerusalem, which, for the past two nights, has seen Iranian ballistic missiles flash overhead like a rain of meteorites. "It's unsettling to feel the shockwaves of intercepted missiles above you, and to take your family down to a bomb shelter. That's just something we don't think about in America," he said. Dr. Greer Glazer, who lives in Cleveland and was in Jerusalem for a nursing training program, faces a race down 10 flights of stairs in her hotel to reach the shelter when sirens sound -- as they have done regularly since Friday night. "I feel safe," she said, "but waking from a dead sleep and running to the safe room, that's been the hardest. My family is scared to death ... They think it's 24/7 destruction, but it's not like that." Glazer had been due to return home on June 29, but is looking to bring forward her departure. The easiest exit route is via land crossings into neighbouring Jordan and then a flight out of Amman airport which has been operating in daylight hours. Israeli media reported that the transgender U.S. influencer Caitlyn Jenner, who only flew into Israel on Thursday for Tel Aviv's since-canceled Gay Pride Parade, had left through Jordan. Hours earlier, she had been photographed drinking a glass of red wine in a bomb shelter. "What an incredible way it has been to celebrate Shabbat," she wrote on X. Not everyone is rushing to leave. Karen Tuhrim is visiting from London to see her daughter, who lives in Tel Aviv. "Within two days of being here, Israel attacked Iran. So now I'm stuck," she said. Unlike Jerusalem, Tel Aviv has taken direct hits from the Iranian missiles and Tuhrim has had to dip in and out of her hotel's shelter. But she said she felt safe and was happy to be near her daughter. "For me, personally, at the moment, I feel better being here than in London, watching it all on the news, knowing my daughter is here. So, for now, we're good." Israel's Ministry of Tourism has set up a round-the-clock virtual help desk in English and Hebrew for stranded travellers. But for anyone stuck here, all the museums are closed until further notice, entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem is barred to non-residents and many shops remain shuttered. "The streets and shops are empty," said Jerusalem resident Anwar Abu Lafi, who saw no quick end to the gloom. "People are yearning for a break, to find something good in this existing darkness. We are deluding ourselves into thinking that the future will be better," he said.
