"Stoked to be back home" Israelis breathe a sigh of relief in Frankfurt
Aid for Returnees Back from Israel
After a long wait, Germans stranded in Israel due to the ongoing conflict with Iran have finally returned home. A special flight from Amman, Jordan touched down at Frankfurt Airport, marking the end of a tumultuous journey for these travelers. Relief was palpable among the passengers after landing. Some felt overlooked in the ordeal.
Travel woes for stranded Germans: Over the past few days, the war between Israel and Iran has severed direct flights to Germany. The German Foreign Office stepped in to help those stuck in Tel Aviv by organizing a return option. Upon landing, the immense relief was evident. Some passengers felt they had not been adequately cared for during their time in limbo.
Mixed feelings of relief and unease: Lionel Reich described his experience in Tel Aviv as "stressful and tense." He reported an air raid alarm every two to three hours during the night. The constant Loud booms and sirens instilled fear due to the sound of rocket impacts. As they disembarked in Frankfurt, however, Reich still expressed concern for his friends who lived centrally in Tel Aviv, as their apartment was destroyed during the conflict.
Daniel Halav mirrored Lionel's sentiments. "I've never been so glad to be home," he said. However, Halav shared his criticism of the German government for leaving the Germans in Israel to fend for themselves when it came to arranging travel to Amman. Halav questioned why the German embassy in Tel Aviv remained closed for several days amid the Israel attacks on Iran last Friday.
While they were relieved to now be in Germany, the evacuees carried the psychological and emotional toll of their ordeal with them. The process of safe travel during wartime had left many with a lingering sense of fear.
Organizing evacuations: The Foreign Office decided against organizing a convoy for the Germans stranded in Israel to travel to Jordan. Instead, they advised following the security guidelines set by the Israeli authorities and avoiding overland travel or gatherings. These flights, sponsored by the Foreign Office, were dubbed "commercial special flights" due to the limited options provided by commercial airlines [1].
The Foreign Office also called for Germans to register on their Elefand crisis preparedness list. As of the Dallas Morning News report on June 18, 2025, there were over 4,000 Germans registered on Elefand who indicated they were in Israel, with more than 1,000 registrations from those in Iran. Further flights were being planned, as the Foreign Office announced [3].
Regional tensions: With the conflict still ongoing in the Middle East, borders and airspace remained closed, making travel in or out of the region challenging. Iran continued its shelling of Israel, prompting the closure of both countries' airspace. Germans in Iran were advised to travel overland to neighboring countries Armenia and Turkey, as border crossings remained open. In some cases, it was possible to depart via Azerbaijan's border, and from there to continue travel to Germany with commercial flights [2].
Source: ntv.de, dpa
- Israel
- Israel War
- Frankfurt am Main
- Foreign Office
- Wars and Conflicts
- The Israeli war between Israel and Iran had disrupted direct flights to Germany, necessitating a special flight from Amman, Jordan organized by the German Foreign Office to evacuate stranded Germans.
- Many of the returned travelers expressed mixed feelings, grateful to be home yet still uneasy about the ongoing war, particularly for friends living centrally in Tel Aviv whose homes were destroyed.
- Despite the relief at being back in Germany, some evacuees carried the psychological and emotional toll of their ordeal with them, with lingering fear due to the unpredictable nature of war-and-conflicts in the region.
