![Luggage carts remain unused in a mostly empty Ben Gurion airport, after flights were cancelled following Israel's early-morning attack on Iran on June 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. [Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/GettyImages-2219979926.jpg?fit=920%2C613&ssl=1)
The Israeli National Security Council (NSC) warned Sunday Israelis stranded abroad to stop planning overland returns through Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula or through Jordan, as Ben Gurion Airport remains closed until further notice.
“Because Ben-Gurion Airport has been shut since 12 June, some private initiatives are exploring flights into Sinai or Jordan and then overland travel to Israel,” the NSC said in a statement issued on Sunday.
“We wish to clarify that Sinai and Jordan are subject to level-4 warnings that reflect a high terror threat, and we therefore recommend avoiding these areas. The warnings are even more relevant during the current period of heightened tension.”
The National Security Council urged Israelis abroad who wish to return to “be patient” and await official updates from the Transportation Ministry about organized repatriation flights instead of attempting to cross land borders on their own.
Earlier in the day, the Israel Airports Authority confirmed that airspace remains closed until further notice and recommended stranded citizens against travel to Larnaca or Athens in the hope of returning from there.
It noted that the frequency of flights will be limited when they resume, which could force travellers to wait for days.
No date has yet been set for the reopening of airspace and the resumption of flights, given the escalating war with Iran.
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