Tugboats, Cruise Ships And Flights: Israel Begins Emergency Evacuation Of Citizens Amid Iran War

JERUSALEM – An emergency formation carrying Israelis stranded overseas owed to nan fighting pinch Iran landed successful Tel Aviv connected Wednesday morning, portion of a typical authorities cognition to get them home. 

Some 100,000 to 150,000 Israelis were overseas erstwhile Israel Defense Forces combatant jets began striking Iran overnight connected Thursday - seeking to destruct nan Islamic Republic’s atomic programme and its cache of accepted weapons.

Israel instantly closed its airspace, halting each flights into nan country, but immoderate group person been truthful hopeless to get location - contempt nan volleys of deadly ballistic missiles that person caused widespread harm and fatalities – that they person recovered immoderate unconventional routes. 

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The first formation of Operation "Safe Return" landed astatine Ben Gurion Airport successful Israel connected June 18, 2025. The operation, led by nan Ministry of Transport and Road Safety together pinch nan Israel Airports Authority and nan Israel Air Force, is designed to bring location Israeli passengers who were forced to stay overseas owed to formation cancellations. (Israel Airport Authority/TPS-IL)

Yaakov Katz, an writer and erstwhile editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, had his formation from nan U.S. rerouted to Cyprus connected Thursday nighttime arsenic Israel launched its opening onslaught connected Iran. 

In a lengthy societal media post, he described being stuck for 2 days earlier uncovering a tugboat to return him and 8 others backmost to Israel. 

"Nine of america squeezed onto a alloy captained by Eli, a seasoned Israeli sailor who didn’t inquire questions - conscionable took nan wheel," he wrote successful nan post. 

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Katz said nan vessel thrust was not simple. 

Yaakov Katz boarded a tugboat successful Cyprus to get location to Israel amid warfare pinch Iran. (Yaakov Katz)

"I can't opportunity it was nan champion conditions, but it was decidedly doable for 17 hours," he described, adding that he wanted to beryllium pinch his woman and 4 children while "our state is astatine war." 

"The thought of not being astatine location and not being pinch my family was very difficult, and contempt nan risks and, of course, nan warfare itself, there’s nary spot I deliberation immoderate Israeli would want to beryllium astatine a clip for illustration this," said Katz.

Shimi Grossman, a unpaid pinch rescue agency Zaka, besides said he could not wait. 

He has spent nan past 2 days making his measurement from nan U.S. to London, past to Sharm al-Sheikh successful Egypt. Speaking to Fox News Digital from there, Grossman said he was now readying to return a taxi to Israel’s confederate separator crossing successful Taba. 

"I needed to get backmost truthful I could thief nan group successful Israel," said nan aesculapian volunteer. 

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Israel launched its first rescue flights for Israelis stranded overseas during Israel's warfare pinch Iran. (Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Others person waited tensely, watching arsenic nan missiles deed nan country, sending civilians moving into shelters, toppling buildings and sidesplitting much than 20 people. 

"It’s torture," Josh Hantman, who was watching from London, told Fox News Digital.

On Tuesday, a rocket deed a autobus depot little than a mile from his home. "Watching a ballistic missile, nan size of a autobus falling near your location wherever you cognize your woman and mini kids are, it’s incredibly difficult," he said. 

Transport Minister Miri Regev said nan authorities was moving connected a elaborate scheme to bring each Israel’s citizens home. 

Domestic airlines, she said, had already been relocated overseas and were waiting for an all-clear to return pinch passengers. Regev besides said a "maritime route" from Cyprus and Greece would soon open. Israelis person been warned from walking done neighboring Egypt and Jordan.  

For Uzi Sofer, nan rescue flights came excessively late. On a business travel to Boston past week, he was returning to celebrate his daughter’s wedding connected Wednesday.

Israel's aerial defense targets Iranian missiles successful nan entity of Tel Aviv successful Israel, connected June 16, 2025. (MATAN GOLAN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

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"I was expected to alert backmost connected Friday for nan wedding this week," he said, describing really he managed to scope Budapest, Hungary, but was now waiting for a rescue flight. 

Realizing her begetter would not make it backmost successful time, however, his girl decided to postpone her nuptials until adjacent month.

"I’m not stressed now, but I still want to beryllium successful Israel, I want to beryllium pinch my family," he said, adding, "God willing, successful July, I will get to observe doubly – nan wedding and Israel’s victory complete Iran."