image sourced from original article at Israel will sharply reduce flight activity at Ben Gurion Airport starting Monday at 5 p.m., limiting operations to one incoming and one outgoing flight per hour. Departing flights will be capped at 50 passengers, down from the previous limit of 120, while arriving flights will not face a passenger limit.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev said the move follows a security assessment and recommendations from security officials, citing the need to prevent potential harm to human life. The decision comes after Iranian ballistic missiles struck central and southern Israel over the weekend, causing injuries and damage.
Regev described the restrictions as inconvenient but necessary, emphasizing that protecting human life is the top priority. She added that the guidelines could change at any time depending on updated security assessments.
Since the airport gradually reopened, about 140,000 Israelis have returned on repatriation flights operated by local airlines, according to the minister.
