The first group of Dutch travelers who were stranded in Israel arrived at Eindhoven Airport around 6:30 PM on Wednesday evening via a charter flight. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this involves a group of about one hundred people.
The charter flight departed earlier on Wednesday from Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had arranged bus transportation for the stranded travelers from Israel to Egypt.
Only Dutch travelers who do not live in Israel are eligible for repatriation. “So far, more than 150 stranded Dutch travelers have registered for repatriation from Israel,” the ministry wrote earlier today.
The first group has now arrived in the Netherlands. A second group may follow later this week, but the ministry does not announce exact travel schedules “in the interest of safety.”
Dutch citizens from other countries in the Middle East have also reported to the ministry. This concerns dozens of Dutch people who want to leave Iran, Iraq, or the West Bank.
“A growing number of Dutch citizens have now been able to leave these countries independently,” the ministry says. Some people received assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For example, the ministry provided the correct documents and stamps to cross a border.