Israel evacuates embassy staff from UAE to Tel Aviv

JERUSALEM

Israel evacuated its embassy staff in the United Arab Emirates on a special flight to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, according to media reports.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said embassy employees in Abu Dhabi and staff at the consulate in Dubai, along with their families, were returned to Israel early Tuesday.

It said the evacuation was carried out through a “special operation” to Tel Aviv.

The flight departed from Dubai and received special permission to land at Ben Gurion Airport despite the airport’s closure to commercial flights.

The UAE, along with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Iraq, has reported damage from Iranian attacks since Saturday, following the launch of Israeli and US military strikes against Iran.

Tehran said it is targeting “American interests in the region,” though some strikes have caused damage to civilian facilities, drawing condemnation from Gulf Cooperation Council states and demands to halt the attacks.

At the same time, Iran has launched missile barrages and drones toward Israel, resulting in casualties, as part of its response to the strikes against Iranian territory.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul