Israel closes airspace after US strike, Iran missile barrage

Tens of thousands of Israelis remain stranded abroad as the war with Iran intensifies.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Israel closed its airspace and has cancelled all inbound and outbound flights until further notice, following an American attack on Iran’s nuclear sites and a subsequent missile barrage from Tehran targeting the Jewish State.

Tens of thousands of Israelis have been stranded abroad since the outbreak of the Israel-Iran war on June 13th.

Israeli airlines including El Al, Israir, and Arkia launched repatriation flights in recent days, bringing back Israelis who had been stuck outside of the country’s borders in the U.S. and Europe.

Monday was slated to be the first day that outbound flights would depart from Ben Gurion Airport. It’s now unclear if those flights, reserved for tourists, foreign diplomats, and Israelis with emergencies requiring them to travel aboard, will proceed as previously scheduled.

As Iran targeted Israel with at least 30 ballistic missiles on Sunday morning, hours after the U.S. strike on its nuclear assets, planes bound for Israel were forced to change course.

An El Al rescue flight transporting Israelis from Paris to Tel Aviv returned to France, while another flight from Bankgok, Thailand was diverted to Rome.

“El Al flights are canceled until further notice,” the airline said in a media statement.

“Flights that were en route to Israel will land at an alternative destination. El Al is subject to and acts in accordance with the guidelines of the Homefront Command and the Ministry of Transportation. Passenger safety and security are our top priorities, and we will continue to update you with any changes and new guidelines.”

Beyond shuttering the airport and banning flights, Israeli authorities also barred a cruise ship – carrying more than a thousand Israelis trying to return home from the nearby island of Cyprus – from docking at the Port of Ashdod.