Israel arranges two Istanbul flights for citizens' return

ISTANBUL

Two passenger planes have departed from Istanbul, offering Israeli citizens the opportunity to return home following Israel's National Security Bureau's safety concerns in the wake of heightened tensions spurred by the recent attack on a hospital in Gaza.

Tensions escalated following the attack, an incident that Israel has denied responsibility for but has led to widespread protests outside Israeli diplomatic missions in Türkiye.

As a result, the Israeli bureau raised the travel warning to the highest level for its citizens traveling to Türkiye, urging Israelis in the country to leave immediately.

To facilitate the evacuation of Israeli citizens, two non-scheduled flights from Istanbul to Tel Aviv were arranged by Arkia and El Al airlines.

The first flight landed at Istanbul Airport from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport on Oct. 18. Passengers, including families with children, departed from Istanbul at 7:55 p.m. The second flight departed from the airport at around 1:40 a.m.