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Gulf Insider
6 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Israel's National Airline Offers 'Deep Discounts'
El Al, Israel's national airliner, has introduced heavily subsidized return flights on 25 June aimed at repatriating Israelis who fled during the recent war against Iran. The state-backed offer includes capped fares through the end of June – $99 from European cities and $649–699 from the US – roughly half the standard price. Once repatriation flights are full, remaining seats will become available to the general public. In Cyprus, where thousands of Israelis remain, emergency repatriation efforts continue. Cruise ships and diverted flights have brought back many in recent days, but Jewish community leaders warn that shelters and resources are overstretched as people await flights home. This campaign was triggered by the closure of Israeli airspace on June 13, after Iranian missile strikes damaged key infrastructure following Israeli attacks on top Iranian figures. Since the ceasefire went into effect on June 24,Israeli airports such as Ben Gurion and Haifa have fully reopened, and wartime travel restrictions – including the exit ban – have been lifted. While inbound flights have resumed, a cabinet resolution had required Israelis to obtain approval from an 'exceptions committee' before travelling abroad – but this is no longer necessary following the ceasefire. Foreign nationals have been permitted to leave via land or sea since the air ban, but Israeli citizens were previously barred from purchasing outbound flights. As a result, hundreds fled by yacht from Herzliya, Haifa, and Ashkelon, sailing to Cyprus before onward travel to Europe. Egypt emerged as another escape route. Sinai authorities raised the alert level due to an influx of Israelis via the Taba crossing. Security officials cautioned that the arrival wave could be used by Mossad operatives posing as tourists, presenting surveillance and destabilization risks. This movement sparked criticism from Egyptian activists, particularly given Cairo's crackdown on Gaza-bound aid convoys. 'It is outrageous that Israelis can walk into Sinai, but activists … are turned away,' one organizer told Middle East Eye (MEE). Many of those who fled hold dual citizenship – either immigrants who retained their original passports or Israeli-born citizens who later acquired second nationalities. Common destination countries include the US, EU states, Russia, and Ukraine. The repatriation campaign highlights growing contradictions. While Israel actively encourages returnees with subsidized flights, its wartime policies briefly trapped its own citizens abroad or forced them into risky sea evacuations. Also read: Ayatollah Claims 'Victory' Over Israel Which 'Almost Collapsed' In 1st Public Appearance Since Ceasefire
The National
6 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Ceasefire with Iran gives Israelis a chance to return from temporary Cyprus haven
Police at Limassol's port were jumpy as Israelis who had sought a safe haven and were stranded by weeks of airline disruption arrived on Thursday in dribs and drabs to get on a cruise ship to take them home. Many had spent weeks away from home after Israel closed its airspace to commercial flights but were boarding the cruise ship Crown Iris. It is conducting a final repatriation voyage to Ashdod port as operations at Ben Gurion resume. The 11 deck Panamanian-registered ship has ferried 2,000 to Israel on each of its voyages. Israelis are purchasing real estate in sensitive areas that pose a threat to national security Stefanos Stefanou On the dockside concourse a set of polite, if slightly stressed local Cypriot officers, took passport details and made a few calls to their bosses. There have been reports of Iranian-linked sleeper agents on the island and last week police arrested a suspect conducting surveillance against the nearby British airbase, RAF Akrotiri. A statement said a British citizen was being investigated for ties to Iran in attacking the base. Once they have taken details, the senior officer of the three, apologetically nodding in the direction of the ship, said: 'You understand this is sensitive.' He then made it clear reporting from the scene 'is over'. The sailing has been organised by Israeli national airline El Al and comes as flights began departing Cyprus for Israel after it began the phased reopening its airspace in the wake of a ceasefire with Iran. Israel first closed its airspace on June 13 when its troops launched their attack on Iran, leaving and 100,000 to 150,000 Israelis stranded abroad. Speaking as she prepared to get ready to board the ship back in her hotel, stranded El Al passenger Nesher Drohah told The Nationa l she has been out of Israel since June 6. 'We travelled to Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania and we were meant to be there until June 18 when the war broke out,' she said. 'But we've been stuck in Tirana until two days ago so now we're here to go home by boat.' She said it she is anxious to return to Israel after people she knows had a narrow escape from an Iranian missile but lost their home. 'He's OK but the house is not OK, the car is not OK,' she said. 'For that reason we were trying to fly back to get home fast and I hope tomorrow we will be home.' Ms Drohah said she backed the decision by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch an attack on Iran. She said that 'Iran is dangerous for all over the world but for us the most'. Cyprus has become a key transit point for Israelis wishing to return home in the absence of direct flights there and also the foreign nationals looking to escape the conflict. These include UK citizens first evacuated by the UK's Royal Air Force to the Akrotiri airbase. It is further along the same peninsula as Limassol's port. There are frequent flights to Cyprus from Israel, the result of the island's popularity as a tourist destination for Israelis. At different points of tension including the months since the October 7 assault by Hamas that led to Israel's Gaza operation, Cyprus has been a point of refuge for those who want to get out of the danger zone. The spillover from the Israeli assault on Gaza has seen a steady flow of Israelis arrive in Cyprus. While there is a ceasefire with Iran, the warplanes, drones and artillery attacks continue against the Palestinians both in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The Cyprus chief Rabbi Arie Zeev Raskin has previously said that about 6,500 Israelis were in Cyprus after leaving the war zone for the east Mediterranean island, the closest European nation to Israel. Others had travelled there to catch flight or boat trip back to their country. Many Israelis have now settled in Cyprus and bought property there. There are now six Chabad Houses, which are community centres and also places of worship, on the island. Israeli restaurants cater for compatriots in the handsome Mediterranean port city that attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year. Targeted purchases The presence of Israelis has provoked a backlash. This week, a local political party Akel, singled out the purchase of land by them, as part of its highlighting of foreign land purchases by non-EU nationals. Stefanos Stefanou, the left-wing party's leader, accused Israelis of making 'targeted purchases' of land with the aim of creating gated communities in Larnaca and Limassol. 'Our country is being taken away from us,' he said. 'Israelis are purchasing real estate in sensitive areas that pose a threat to national security.' The party has put forward legislation in parliament aimed at restricting 'golden visas', which issued to non-EU nationals for an investment of at least €300,000 ($351,000) in real estate or company shareholding. Mr Stefanou appeared to focus on Israelis buying land claiming 'Zionist schools are being built' and quoting what he said were media reports 'suggesting that Israel is preparing a 'backyard' in Cyprus'. At Limassol's Chabad House, Rabbi Yitzchok Lapidus told The National that recently he has seen an increase in what he described as 'antisemitic graffiti'. He is one of three Rabbis, who work there under leadership of Rabbi Yair Baitz, and also with their wives. But for Rabbi Lapidus, his mind has been focused on providing food and shelter for the 'thousands' of Israelis and majority, he estimates, have come through the doors of the Chabad Houses in Cyprus. A traditional Israeli breakfast of fried eggs, salad and bread was laid on in the cafe next door just in case any travellers arrived that morning. Such has been the desperation of Israelis to get home, many have resorted to unusual methods, explained the Rabbi. 'They tried to go to Israel by yacht, by helicopter. There are a lot of families who were stuck here and need help to get out because of an emergency. People needed medicine, there were pregnant women,' he told The National. 'Some of them went for one day or for business and they were stuck for a week, two weeks. In the marina area of the city there one yacht charterer who asked not to be identified confirmed that her company had leased boats out to Israelis. 'It was our company that did most of this. There was a lot of demand last week and through the weekend but that's now over as people can get flights.' But another yacht charter company said it turned down requests by Israelis to charter yachts. 'We had a lot of inquiries from people who wanted to go to Israel but we decided it would be too risky because of the war but I know others were happy.' Omer Gonen is one of the unlucky ones who was only meant to be out of Israel for weekend. He came to Limassol with his wife and two children, along with their friends, two weekends ago but has been stuck here. 'We just wanted a weekend holiday but we're still here,' he said. 'We're now booked on a very expensive flight on Saturday. It's good to be going home now, finally but it's been terrible here.' Sitting on the floor with his two friends at Larnaca airport, Uriel, 24, from Jerusalem, explained they had just been released from the army and were about to return from a holiday in Tblisi, in Georgia when they became stuck. 'We had been on holiday for two to three weeks and then we got stuck,' he said. 'We came from Tblisi to here because it's easy for us to get a visa.' Uriel explained that him and his friends were about to board a special flight organised by a wealthy Israeli, which was exempt from the ban on commercial flights. He said their families 'were in the safest place but it's still a worry' but he added 'we've had two and a half years of war'. Meanwhile, the first RAF flight set off from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon carrying 63 British passengers, who landed in Cyprus and were then flown back to Birmingham Airport, where they arrived in the early hours of Tuesday. In the days since, more Britons have made the journey home as part of the Government's evacuation strategy. Meanwhile, the US has helped about 400 of its citizens and others to fly out of Israel since Saturday amid conflict with Iran and hopes to accommodate more in the coming days, a senior State Department official said.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Iran-Israel ceasefire holds after brief setbacks, Trump's outburst
Jun 25, 2025 04:59 PM IST A day has passed since Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire, halting almost two weeks of hostilities on Tuesday. Jewish migrants making Aliyah (immigration to Israel) are handed miniature Israeli flags upon disembarking from an Israeli El Al airlines aircraft after their arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Lod on June 25, 2025.(AFP) While the ceasefire, said to be brokered by US President Donald Trump, initially faced setbacks as both Israel and Iran accused each other of violating it, it has largely held since the outburst from Trump on Tuesday. The conflict began when the Israeli Defence Forces launched Operation Rising Lion, targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure and top officials. Tehran responded with Operation True Promise 3 and launched multiple barrages of missiles towards Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities. The US also joined in bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities, Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz, on Saturday, using 'bunker buster bombs'. Iran attacked the US military base in Qatar on Monday, just hours before the ceasefire. 5 points on ceasefire between Iran and Israel as 24 hours pass Iran on Wednesday announced that it was lifting the restrictions put on the Internet in the country in the wake of attacks by Israel. Things are slowly getting back to normal in both Tehran and Tel Aviv, with no new reports of any bombardment or missile attacks. Iranian airspace will remain closed till Thursday afternoon, local media reports indicated. On the other hand, Israel opened its airspace and returned operations at the David Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to full capacity. Iran's parliament on Wednesday passed a bill that stipulates the halt of co-operation with the atomic watchdog IAEA. According to the bill, any further cooperation with the agency requires prior approval from the Supreme National Security Council. US President Donald Trump admitted at the NATO Summit in the Netherlands that Iran hit Israel hard with ballistic missiles. He disputed the US intelligence reports that Tehran's nuclear facilities were not completely destroyed. Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country had eliminated two existential threats, annihilation by nuclear weapons and annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles
Japan Today
24-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
U.S. strikes on Iran add to global travel disruptions and flight cancellations
A row of aircraft belonging to Israeli airlines El Al sit parked along the apron of Cyprus' main airport in Larnaca. By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS The U.S. entry into Israel's war with Iran caused travel disruptions to pile up globally this week — with flight cancellations continuing Tuesday, even after President Donald Trump claimed a ceasefire was 'in effect.' Following unprecedented bombings ordered by Trump on three Iranian nuclear and military sites over the weekend, Iran on Monday launched a limited missile attack on U.S. forces at Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base. Qatar, which was quick to condemn the attack, had temporarily closed its airspace just over an hour earlier. Airports and skies throughout the region have been on heightened alert since Israel began the deadly war on June 13 with a surprise barrage of attacks on Iran, which responded with its own missile and drone strikes. And in the days following the escalatory U.S. strikes, more and more carriers canceled flights, particularly in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which sit just across the Persian Gulf from Iran. After a ceasefire was announced between Israel and Iran, some of those disruptions eased. But the truce appeared to be on shaky ground Tuesday, with Trump accusing both countries of violating the deal — the terms of which remain unknown. Many airlines have halted select routes through the middle of the week, citing safety concerns. Mideast is worst affected The Middle East carriers were severely affected with cancellations and delays this week. Qatar Airways said its flights were suspended because of Monday's closure of air traffic in Qatar. Qatar Airways shared that it was working to restore operations after the country's airspace reopened — but noted that disruptions may continue through Thursday. Emirates suspended all flights to Iran and Iraq, including those serving Baghdad and Basra, through June 30. An unspecified number of other Emirates flights were rerouted but continuing to operate flights as scheduled, using flight paths well distanced from conflict areas, according to the airline, which added that some flights may be delayed. Etihad Airways, the other of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates, suspended all flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv through July 15, and also announced several regional flight cancellations for Monday and Tuesday — including those connecting Abu Dhabi to and from Kuwait, Doha, Dammam and Muscat. Gulf Air, the carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, extended the cancellation of scheduled flights to Jordan and until June 27. Many other airlines cancel and delay flights Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines canceled some flights to and from Dubai starting Sunday and through Wednesday, citing 'a security assessment of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East.' And British Airways said it had suspended flights to and from Doha through Wednesday, adding that it 'will keep the situation under review.' Air India on Monday announced it was ceasing 'all operations to the (Middle East) region as well as to and from the East Coast of North America and Europe' until further notice. But the airline, which is separately still reeling from a plane crash that killed at least 270 people earlier this month, later said it was working to 'progressively resume' these routes starting Tuesday. In other developments earlier Tuesday, Dutch carrier KLM said that it would be suspending its flights to Dubai in the UAE and Riyad and Damman in Saudi Arabia until further notice. Philippine Airlines canceled several flights to the Middle East, including those to Doha, Dubai and Riyadh for Tuesday and one to Doha Wednesday. Japan Airlines said a flight from Tokyo's Haneda airport to Doha had to return Monday — adding that subsequently scheduled flights have all been canceled through June 27. And a Qatar Airways flight from Hong Kong to Doha was canceled on Tuesday. Air tracking data from FlightAware showed 495 cancellations worldwide just after 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, following 834 cancellations seen Monday. Safety comes first Such disruptions have snarled travel, particularly as central hubs in the Middle East often connect flights worldwide — but experts stress that these kind of airspace closures and flight diversions are critical to ensuring safety, especially if future escalation emerges suddenly. 'It is the responsibility of states, countries to ensure that their airspace is safe for passage of aircraft,' Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. He added that on Monday 'the Qataris did the absolutely right thing to close their airspace because of the threat of conflict.' Beyond Qatari airspace, Flightradar24 reported that UAE airspace was also closed for several hours Monday. While the future is unknown, Ian Petchenik, director of communications at Flightradar24, noted that it's important to remember airspace closures and flight cancellations reflect that 'airlines, air traffic controllers and flight crews are doing their best to keep everybody safe.' Shahidi added that it's important for travelers to monitor government guidance — such as safety notices from the U.S. State Department. Still, lengthy disruptions could carry more widespread implications. Beyond snarling global flight networks, Shahidi stresses that it's very difficult for people who may need or want to evacuate countries impacted by the war to do so without access to commercial flights. At the same time, he adds, it's critical that state authorities focus on keeping their skies safe — pointing to past tragedies of passenger flights that were shot down by strikes. That includes Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down by Russian-backed forces while flying over Ukraine in 2014, killing 298 people. 'We are all praying and urging resolution to this conflict — and especially as it relates to protection of civilian air travel," Shahidi said. "We do not want to have an MH17, with innocent lives being lost in a missile strike ... We do not want to repeat that history.' AP Writers Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo and Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Leader Live
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Second flight evacuating Britons from Israel leaves Tel Aviv
A plane was scheduled to depart the city for the UK's military base in Larnaca, Cyprus, where passengers are then expected to be transferred onto a civilian charter aircraft for their onwards journey to the UK. The Foreign Office said further flights would be considered depending on demand, and British nationals are urged to continue registering their presence in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The first Britons to be evacuated from Israel via this route landed at Birmingham airport in the early hours of Tuesday. Passengers paid £350 each for the journey, which was organised by the Foreign Office. Israeli airline El Al is also operating a commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Heathrow airport, which is due to arrive at 8.20pm on Tuesday. Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer told the Commons that the 'flow of flights out of Israel still remain limited' because of the country's conflict with Iran. He went on: 'British nationals in Israel will want to make their own judgments about whether they will want to wait for a flight or make a land journey, and my officials are available to advise every constituent on the options before them.' He added: 'We are providing support and advice to more than 1,000 British nationals as they seek to leave the region by land and air. 'We have deployed teams to Israel, Cyprus, Egypt and Jordan. 'Our embassy in Tehran has been temporarily withdrawn but continues to provide support for British nationals in Iran remotely.'
