By: TPA News Desk | editor@thepointafricanews.com

TEL AVIV, Israel & BEIRUT, Lebanon – Thousands of tourists and travelers have found themselves stranded in Israel and Lebanon, caught in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, which has led to widespread airport closures and flight cancellations across the Middle East.

Israel’s main international gateway, Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) in Tel Aviv, has been closed indefinitely due to heightened security risks and ongoing military operations. This closure alone has left over 50,000 Israeli travelers and international tourists stranded abroad, with major Israeli carriers like El Al canceling flights well into June. Many stranded individuals are now seeking alternative routes out, with land crossings into Jordan being one of the few viable, though often costly and limited, options. Israel’s Ministry of Tourism has established a 24/7 virtual help desk to assist affected travelers.

In Lebanon, the situation at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport is also chaotic, despite its airspace still being partially open. The escalating regional tensions and airspace closures in neighboring countries like Iran and Iraq have caused significant flight delays and cancellations, disrupting both inbound and outbound travel. Pierre Achkar, President of the Lebanese Hotel Association, has warned that the conflict is casting a severe shadow over Lebanon’s crucial summer tourism season, with hotel reservations being canceled at an alarming rate.

Video: Reuters Press

Major international airlines, including Lufthansa, Air France, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and British Airways, have either suspended or significantly reduced flights to and from Tel Aviv, Tehran, and Beirut, as well as rerouting over 700 flights across the broader Middle East. This widespread disruption highlights the immediate and far-reaching impact of the conflict on civilian air travel and the thousands of individuals caught in its path, both directly in Israel and Lebanon, and those trying to reach or depart from the region.