Israel mulls military op to repatriate citizens stranded in UAE

The regional conflict has sparked the biggest travel disruption since the COVID pandemic.

By World Israel News Staff

The Israeli government is considering several options — including a possible military operation — to bring home roughly 4,000 citizens stranded in the United Arab Emirates as commercial flights out of the Gulf nation continue to be disrupted by Iranian attacks.

The travel crisis comes amid widespread regional disruptions triggered by the ongoing war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, which has severely impacted air traffic across the Middle East.

According to a report from Hebrew-language outlet Channel 13, Israeli officials are exploring emergency measures to evacuate citizens stuck in the Emirates, including a “military solution or a special operation.”

A Saturday attack on Dubai International Airport led to the travel hub being shuttered for several hours.

A video circulating online appeared to show an explosive drone, launched by Iran, impacting the runway, followed by the sound of a large blast and rising plumes of smoke.

However, the government of the United Arab Emirates downplayed the incident in an official statement, acknowledging only “a minor incident resulting from the fall of debris after an interception.”

The statement appeared to contradict the viral footage showing what seemed to be a direct impact on the runway.

The broader conflict has triggered the largest global travel disruption since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Airports throughout the Middle East — including Ben Gurion Airport in Israel and major international hubs in Dubai and Doha, Qatar — have canceled thousands of flights due to retaliatory missile fire from Iran and heightened security risks.

Because of the threat of additional attacks, Israeli authorities have prohibited domestic airlines, such as El Al and Arkia, from flying to other Middle Eastern destinations.

One possible option for mass repatriation in the Emirates would see foreign carriers, including Emirates and Flydubai, transport Israeli passengers.

Under that scenario, Israelis could be flown either directly to Israel or to nearby European destinations such as Greece or Cyprus, where they would transfer to Israeli airlines for the final leg of their journey home.

Officials estimate that roughly 100,000 Israelis have been stranded abroad since the war began.