US refuelers, cargo planes seen at Ben Gurion Airport amid Iran tensions

By Emanuel Fabian

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23 February 2026, 5:07 pm

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Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

American refueling planes are seen at Ben Gurion Airport, February 23, 2026. (Social media; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

As part of the United States’s massive buildup of military forces in the Middle East, American refueler and cargo planes are spotted at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.

The tankers and cargo planes arrived at Ben Gurion in the past day.

There is no comment from Israeli authorities regarding the American military deployment at Israel’s main civilian airport, and it is unclear if the planes are here temporarily as part of a stopover.

According to the Military Air Tracking Alliance, a team of about 30 open-source analysts that routinely analyzes military and government flight activity, more than 85 fuel tankers and over 170 cargo planes have headed into the region since mid-February, as US President Donald Trump considers whether to take possible military action against Iran.