Approximately 40,000 tourists are currently stranded in Israel as the country’s sudden military escalation with Iran has grounded flights, triggered air raid sirens, and forced visitors into bomb shelters.
Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran early Friday, leading to the closure of its national airspace and widespread disruption as the two regional powers exchanged missile strikes.
Tourists across the country have been scrambling to find alternative escape routes, but many airlines have cancelled flights indefinitely.
The Israeli Ministry of Tourism confirmed that it has set up a 24/7 virtual help desk in English and Hebrew to assist stranded travellers.
Justin Joyner, a tourist from California visiting Jerusalem with his father and son, described the terrifying experience of waking to air raid sirens and watching Iranian ballistic missiles streak across the sky.
“It’s unsettling to feel the shockwaves of intercepted missiles above you and to rush your family to a bomb shelter. That’s just something we don’t think about in America,” he said.
Dr. Greer Glazer from Cleveland, in Israel for a nursing program, has also faced regular trips to her hotel’s bomb shelter.
“I feel safe, but waking from a dead sleep and running to the safe room, that`s been the hardest part,” she said, adding that her family back home is extremely worried.
For many, the only viable option to leave Israel now is through land crossings into Jordan, from where flights are available out of Amman airport during daylight hours.
Caitlyn Jenner, a U.S. celebrity who arrived in Tel Aviv just before the escalation for the now-canceled Gay Pride Parade, reportedly left via Jordan after briefly sheltering in Tel Aviv.
Despite the danger, some tourists are choosing to stay. Karen Tuhrim, visiting from London, said she feels safer in Tel Aviv with her daughter than watching events unfold from afar. "For now, we’re good," she said.
Meanwhile, Israeli cities remain largely shut down, with museums closed, shops shuttered, and access to Jerusalem’s Old City restricted to residents. Local residents and visitors alike are bracing for prolonged uncertainty as the conflict continues.
