Tugboats, cruise ships and flights: Israel begins emergency evacuation of citizens amid Iran war

JERUSALEM – An exigency formation carrying Israelis stranded overseas owed to the warring with Iran landed successful Tel Aviv connected Wednesday morning, portion of a peculiar 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 the Islamic Republic’s atomic programme and its cache of accepted weapons.

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

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The archetypal formation of Operation "Safe Return" landed astatine Ben Gurion Airport successful Israel connected June 18, 2025. The operation, led by the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety unneurotic with the Israel Airports Authority and the 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 the U.S. rerouted to Cyprus connected Thursday nighttime arsenic Israel launched its opening onslaught connected Iran. 

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

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

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

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

"I can't accidental it was the champion conditions, but it was decidedly doable for 17 hours," helium described, adding that helium wanted to beryllium with his woman and 4 children portion "our state is astatine war." 

"The thought of not being astatine location and not being with my household was precise difficult, and contempt the risks and, of course, the warfare itself, there’s nary spot I deliberation immoderate Israeli would privation to beryllium astatine a clip similar this," said Katz.

Shimi Grossman, a unpaid with rescue bureau Zaka, besides said helium could not wait. 

He has spent the past 2 days making his mode from the U.S. to London, past to Sharm al-Sheikh successful Egypt. Speaking to Fox News Digital from there, Grossman said helium was present readying to instrumentality a taxi to Israel’s confederate borderline crossing successful Taba. 

"I needed to get backmost truthful I could assistance the radical successful Israel," said the aesculapian volunteer. 

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

Others person waited tensely, watching arsenic the missiles deed the 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, the size of a autobus falling near your location wherever you cognize your woman and tiny kids are, it’s incredibly difficult," helium said. 

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

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

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

Israel's aerial defence targets Iranian missiles successful the 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 the wedding this week," helium said, describing however helium managed to scope Budapest, Hungary, but was present waiting for a rescue flight. 

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

"I’m not stressed now, but I inactive privation to beryllium successful Israel, I privation to beryllium with my family," helium said, adding, "God willing, successful July, I volition get to observe doubly – the wedding and Israel’s victory implicit Iran."