AhlulBayt News Agency: Israel’s Haaretz news website has reported that hundreds of Israelis and foreigners are fleeing the country by yachts, with many paying thousands of shekels to reach Cyprus island by sea.
With air travel from Israel still suspended, Israelis have turned to maritime escape routes, joining informal and costly networks offering sea passages out of the country.
According to Haaretz on Monday, the Herzliya City’s marina has effectively transformed into a “mini-departure terminal” in recent days. Yacht owners in Haifa and Ashkelon have also started carrying groups of Israelis and foreigners, with up to 10 people per vessel.
The report added that Israel’s population and immigration authority has been unable to assess the number of Israelis fleeing the country aboard boats.
Prices for these escape routes have surged due to increased demand. One Israeli told Haaretz they were charged 2,500 shekels (around $670) per person, while another was asked for 6,000 shekels (approximately $1,600). A yacht captain said, “It’s a matter of supply and demand — if someone wants to pay, they pay.”
The Haaretz revelations come after a direct warning from Iran’s armed forces on Sunday, urging settlers to evacuate Israeli areas immediately. In a statement, the Iranian military warned that Israel “will certainly become uninhabitable in the near future,” adding that bunkers “will not provide safety.”
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