Israel's Ben Gurion airport partially reopens

JERUSALEM, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, located outside Tel Aviv, reopened on Sunday afternoon, according to a statement issued by the Israel Airports Authority (IAA).

The airport, which serves as the country's main international hub, had been shut down early Sunday morning following a U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The airport is now open only for inbound flights, to facilitate the return of Israelis stranded abroad since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Iran on June 13.

Simultaneously, Haifa Airport in northern Israel resumed limited operations, allowing flights from nearby Cyprus, where many Israelis have been waiting to return.

The IAA emphasized that, depending on security conditions, departing flights may be forced to return to their country of origin after takeoff.

The Israeli Ministry of Transport announced that Israeli airlines will be permitted to operate outbound flights starting Monday.

However, due to ongoing safety and security restrictions, each flight will be limited to a maximum of 50 passengers. ■