From the Liveblog of
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Ministry says 20,000 Israelis returned to country since Iran war began, 120,000 still want to return
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSharon Wrobel is a tech reporter for The Times of Israel
The Transportation Ministry says more than 20,000 Israelis stranded abroad have returned home in recent days via land border crossings and maritime routes, as the country’s airspace gradually reopened overnight.
According to the latest data, 120,000 Israelis currently abroad seek to return to Israel. The Transportation Ministry estimates that the current operation to bring home Israelis will take 7-10 days, depending on the security situation and scope of air traffic operations.
Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia and Israir started overnight to gradually operate repatriation flights to help fly back Israelis following the closure of the country’s airspace on Saturday, when Israel and the US launched major joint military strikes on Iran.
The Times of Israel Community.