More leaving than entering through Israel's land borders

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Since the start of the operation in Iran on Saturday morning and the closure of Israel’s airspace, thousands of Israelis have passed through the land borders either boarding international flights to travel overseas or returning home after arriving on international flights. Israel Airports Authority (IAA) figures show that in the past few days more Israelis have left the country than have returned to it. This is despite the travel warning that applies to Israelis visiting Jordan and Egypt.

Ben Gurion airport set to reopen gradually

Wizz Air operating Sinai flights to rescue stranded Israelis

Over 100,000 Israelis stranded abroad

According to the IAA, between February 28 and March 3, roughly 10,000 Israelis entered the country through the land crossings, while15,000 left Israel through the same crossings. Most of those entering during this period are Israeli citizens who returned to Israel after being stranded abroad, but at the same time there was also a significant movement of Israelis leaving the country to continue on flights from neighboring countries, as well as tourists who were stranded without a flight.

The busiest border crossing was Begin Crossing (Taba — Israel-Egypt)), where 5,739 passengers entered Israel but 9,180 departed. At Rabin Crossing (Arava — Israel — Jordan), 2,863 passengers entered compared with 3,147 who left the country, and at the Jordan River Crossing (Israel-Jordan), only 772 passengers entered compared with 2,574 who left.

The way in and out of Israel, at least in the coming days, will continue to be mainly through the land crossings. This is because, in the initial phase, rescue flights through Ben Gurion airport do not include outbound flights. This is because outbound flights require the aircraft to stay on the ground longer, due to security screening procedures for passengers. On the other hand, on inbound flights passengers only need to pick up baggage, so the aircraft’s time on the ground is shorter. Based on the current assessment of the situation, the preference is to minimize the amount of time aircraft spend on the ground as much as possible.

In the coming days Arkia is operating flights out of Israel for $449 from Taba to Athens and $359 to Larnaca and $549 to Sofia. Israel is offering flights to Larnaca for $290, Athens for $390, Rome for $390 and Barcelona, Prague and Berlin for $490. BlueBird Airways is offering flights from Taba to Larnaca for $350 and Athens for $430. TUS Airways is offering flights to Larnaca for $355 and Athens for $435.

Published by Globes, Israel business news — en.globes.co.il — on March 4, 2026.