The Israeli military announced on Friday that the first evacuation vessel carrying Israeli citizens stranded abroad due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict has arrived safely at the Ashdod Port, AFP reported.

“As part of the Ministry of Transportation’s Operation ‘Safe Return’, a passenger ship bringing Israelis from the Port of Limassol in Cyprus docked today… at the Ashdod Port with over 1,500 Israelis on board.

“The ship was secured (during its journey) by an Israeli Navy missile boat”, the military said in a statement.

Following Israel’s airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on June 13, all commercial flights out of the country were grounded, effectively shutting down airports and leaving tens of thousands of Israelis overseas.

The transport ministry estimates that between 100,000 and 150,000 citizens were affected by the closures.

Israeli Transport Minister, Miri Regev, reported that around 5,000 citizens returned home by air on Wednesday and Thursday, with more flights planned to double that number on Friday.

El Al, Israel’s national airline, said it would be operating special recovery flights from various destinations including Europe, the United States, and Thailand to assist in the mass return of stranded nationals.

The operation came amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following Israel’s military campaign against Iran, launched in response to rising regional hostilities.

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