Live Update
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, March 9, 2023
Airport blockade comes to an end as Netanyahu set to depart for Rome

Protesters block the entrance to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, March 9, 2023. (Erik Marmor/Flash90)
The blockade of Ben Gurion Airport aimed at stopping or delaying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from heading to Italy appears to have come to an end.
Netanyahu flew from Jerusalem via helicopter to the airport, where he met US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who changed his plans due to the protests.
An airport sources tells Army Radio that it was a challenging morning but all flights departed as scheduled.