Israel Blocks Rescue Flights for Citizens, Trapping Them Inside During War
Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- The Israeli government has ordered airlines not to allow Israeli citizens currently inside the occupation state to board planes designated for rescue flights, reported Israel’s The Marker. These flights are reserved only for Israelis stranded abroad, according to new instructions issued this week.
Authorities claim the measure is intended to prevent overcrowding at Ben Gurion Airport and reduce the risk of mass casualties among settlers attempting to flee the country. According to estimates, between 100,000 and 200,000 Israelis are currently abroad and in need of return flights. However, settlers attempting to flee the occupied land are not permitted to leave.
Israel’s national airline El Al, along with its subsidiary Sun Dor, announced the cancellation of all scheduled flights until Thursday. “This is in line with security and aviation authorities’ decisions,” the airline said.
The sudden halt in outbound evacuation options has sparked concern among settlers seeking to leave amid rising regional tension and ongoing military operations.
While the government claims to be prioritizing safety, critics point to a double standard in Israel’s wartime policies, particularly its use of Israelis in military strategies.
Israel often accuses Palestinian resistance factions of using human shields. But its own strategy tells another story.
Across cities like Tel Aviv and Be’er Sheva, military command centers, intelligence hubs, and key army bases sit inside civilian neighborhoods. These high-value military sites are surrounded by shopping malls, schools, hospitals, and apartment blocks, protected not by concrete, but by civilian presence.
The same is true in the occupied West Bank, where settlements serve both as outposts and buffers. Armed settlers, including families with children, are intentionally placed deep inside conflict zones, making them the first line of defense in Israel’s colonial strategy.
