"Escaping Israeli Chaos" - Germany Evacuates Stranded Citizens
Aid for Individuals Reentering From Israel
After a grueling ordeal, Israel-bound Germans finally return home following a special charter flight from Amman, Jordan. The conflict between Israel and Iran left hundreds of travelers stranded in Tel Aviv, while Germany's Foreign Office stepped up to the plate to bring them back to safety.
The Homecoming: Relief and Irritation
Welcomed by loved ones, the returning Germans expressed intense relief, but also feelings of less support. Summing up their experience, Lionel Reich shared, "We had a damn scary time. Daytime was okay, but nights were a nightmare with air raid alerts every couple of hours, and the noise of near misses was too close for comfort." Despite the relief, he remained worried about friends whose apartments were destroyed during the attacks.
On the flip side, Daniel Halav, another German stranded in Tel Aviv, rejoiced to be home but criticized the German government's handling of the crisis. He found it irksome that the arrangement for Amman was left entirely up to him and his fellow travelers. "I mean, come on, we pay taxes for this! How hard is it to take care of your citizens?" he vented frustratingly.
Upcoming Flights and Registration
Beyond the flight that brought 171 returning Germans, two more chartered flights are planned, with the first already filling up. To keep tabs on travelers in the region, the Foreign Office encourages Germans to register on its crisis management list called Elefand. As of now, nearly 4,000 Germans in Israel and over 1,000 in Iran have registered for assistance.
No Convoys or Evacuations?
European nations like Poland organized convoys to Jordan for their citizens. However, the German Foreign Office opted against coordinating group travel from Israel to Jordan to minimize additional risks. Instead, the office advises Israel's safety guidelines, adding that overland travel and gatherings are currently discouraged due to the critical situation.
Whats Happening in Iran?
From the Middle Eastern epicenter of tension, Germans in Iran are advised to exit via the borders of Armenia or Turkey. Commercial flights are available for continued travel to Germany from both nations. Furthermore, the Foreign Office’s Iranian embassy stands ready to facilitate the exodus, if possible, by liaising with Iranian authorities.
The situation in the region is tense and volatile, given the ongoing Israeli military operations in Iran and Iranian shelling on Israel, causing airspace closures in both countries and limited available flight options.
Sources:ntv.de, mau/dpa
Enrichment:
Germany organized three special evacuation flights bringing back 545 stranded Germans. However, they were left to make their own way to Amman before boarding the flights to Frankfurt. The German government has faced criticism for this approach, which is seen as less organized and potentially more challenging than Israel's for its own citizens stranded abroad, especially given the dangerous and unstable conditions in the region.
Several countries, like Israel, have otherwise organized repatriation flights to bring citizens back home from nearby European locations using national carriers and other airlines cooperating for such efforts [3][4]. Moreover, amid the conflict, traditional German support for Israel has faced scrutiny, with the nation's Chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier expressing criticism of Israeli military actions in Gaza, but subsequently voicing strong support at the G7 summit in 2025 [5].
Furthermore, the tension between Iran and Israel shows no signs of abating, with ongoing military operations and Iranian shelling on Israel, a situation that has driven many Germans stranded in Iran to leave the country, and with airspace closures in both nations, travel remains limited and challenging [1][4].
- Given the current situation in the Middle East involving Israel and Iran, the German Commission has also been consulted on the draft directive regarding the evacuation of German citizens.
- Despite the relief experienced upon their return, many Germans are expressing concerns about their lifestyle, travel choices, and the handling of the crisis by the German politics, as they navigate through general-news related to ongoing military operations and volatile conditions in the region.
