An Israeli stuck in Berlin who was running out of his daily medication. Two sisters in a Barcelona hotel searching for a family who might host them in the Spanish city. Families unexpectedly separated between Tel Aviv and London.
Facebook groups for Israelis abroad have been abuzz with pleas for help as tens of thousands of travelers who left the country before it started its assault on Iran find themselves stranded overseas.
Israel launched its attack in the early hours of Friday morning, and the element of surprise was a military imperative.
As a result, Israel abruptly closed its airspace to civilian traffic. Officials said that they could not provide accurate figures for the number of Israelis abroad but estimated that it was 100,000 to 150,000, adding that it was not known how, or when, those travelers might return home. On Monday, the Israeli ministry of defense authorized some rescue flights to begin operating. But it may be three days before the flights start, according to a ministry spokeswoman.
Despite Israel’s long Mediterranean coastline and relative proximity to popular tourism destinations like Cyprus, there are no regular ferry services. The Israeli national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, said that the government was discussing maritime options but that nothing had been decided.
Some stranded travelers were trying to get home via Israel’s land borders with Jordan and Egypt. But the Israeli National Security Council has advised citizens to avoid those routes because of security risks associated with the latest tensions in the region.
The council recommended that Israelis abroad wait for updates from the Ministry of Transportation. The ministry and the Israel Airports Authority said that they were working with airlines to bring citizens home but cautioned that it could take some time.
The Foreign Ministry has asked Israelis abroad to register their details on a digital platform. The expectation was that it could take weeks to bring back all those wanting to return.
Israeli airlines have moved their planes out of the country.
Rachel Brettler and her partner headed for Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv, on Thursday, to fly out for a six-night vacation on the Greek island of Santorini. They had mused in the taxi about rumors that Israel might attack Iran, Ms. Brettler said, but thought little more of it.
“We couldn’t believe the news when we woke the next morning,” Ms. Brettler said, speaking by phone from Santorini. The couple were planning on going to London, where they have family.
Ms. Brettler said it was “unsettling” to be away from their home in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, at a time like this. They were still receiving missile alerts from Israel on their cellphones.
Travel in and out of Israel had already been severely curtailed after the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the war in Gaza. Many international airlines had suspended flights to and from the country.
Amid the travel upheaval, some visitors have also found themselves stuck in Israel.
Myra Noveck contributed reporting from Jerusalem.
Isabel Kershner, a Times correspondent in Jerusalem, has been reporting on Israeli and Palestinian affairs since 1990.
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