Land of God: Israelis “Escape” From Safe Countries to a War Zone

While most nations organize rescue flights to evacuate their citizens away from war zones, Israel witnesses the opposite phenomenon. When danger rises and the skies close, Israelis rush to return home, even if it means flying straight into a country at war. For many, the instinct is not to stay where it’s safe but to stand with their people, refusing to abandon the land that Scripture describes as the one “the Lord, your God, looks after; the eyes of Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12). In moments of crisis, the pull of home, faith, and national solidarity proves stronger than fear.

The first El Al rescue flight departed for Israel early Thursday morning, after the emergency flight schedule was published the previous evening, in anticipation of reopening the country’s airspace. The flight from Athens to Israel marks the beginning of the large-scale effort to bring stranded Israelis home.

“Welcome Home”

Transportation Minister Miri Regev arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport to greet the pilot of the first rescue flight upon landing.

“We are happy that you are leading the first flight returning Israelis home since the beginning of Operation Rising Lion,” Regev said. “We wish you a safe landing. With God’s help, we will bring all Israelis back home, safely and in peace.”

Before departure, the flight’s captain, Roi Meir, addressed the passengers.

“This is the first rescue flight to land at Ben-Gurion,” he said. “For all of us, this is an emotional and meaningful moment, after more than five days during which the country’s skies were closed to commercial flights. We are excited to host you on our flight, the one that opens the rescue operation back to Israel. We wish us all a good, quiet, and pleasant flight. Soon we will be home.”

First flight lands in Ben Gurion airport:

🚨 FIRST “RESCUE FLIGHT” LANDS AT BEN GURION

El Al’s first rescue flight has landed at Ben Gurion Airport, officially launching the airline’s operation to return passengers to Israel.

Side note: Normally “rescue flights” evacuate people out of a war zone. In this case, they are… pic.twitter.com/KUUqrNrDGo

— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) March 5, 2026

Priority for Rescue Flights

Rescue flights are scheduled to run till the night from Budapest, Munich, London, Geneva and more.

El Al announced that rescue flights for customers of El Al and Sun D’Or whose flights were canceled will be provided at no additional cost. Tickets will only be offered to the general public after all affected customers have been evacuated.

In addition, the airline is examining the possibility of operating flights using aircraft from the company KlasJet to Taba or Aqaba, pending the necessary approvals from relevant security authorities.

Meanwhile, Israel’s national basketball team is expected to return tomorrow on a special rescue flight, after being forced to remain in Cyprus for several days beyond their original travel plans, due to the closure of Israeli airspace and the cancellation of their original flight.

The team had completed a successful trip with two victories over Cyprus, and was originally scheduled to land in Israel on Monday. However, because of the security situation, they remained there. Israel’s Ministry of Sports appealed to Transportation Minister Regev to prioritize the return of sports delegations stranded abroad. An option of returning through Egypt was examined but ultimately rejected by the ISA (Shin Bet) on security grounds.

Reopening the Airspace

On Tuesday, Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced that Israel’s airspace would reopen between Wednesday and Thursday.

“The State of Israel is at war, and this has a direct impact on civil aviation,” Regev said. “We prepared an organized plan to bring Israelis home safely. The first phase is already behind us, we succeeded in moving about 70  Israeli and foreign aircraft out of the country.”

As the rescue flights continue to land, each arrival tells a story that is uniquely Israeli. Instead of escaping the danger, thousands are choosing to return to it, determined to stand with their families, their people, and their homeland in its hour of need. In the land God watches over, the journey home is more than a flight, it is a declaration of faith, belonging, and an unbreakable bond between a people and their land.

Roni Siani contributed to this article.