Fifteen American aerial refueling aircraft departed Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday morning and were transferred to other regional bases, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, according to reports. The move follows the earlier evacuation of 28 US refuelers from the airport, as reported by The Zioneer on June 24, amid ongoing logistical adjustments.
Thursday morning saw the departure of 15 American KC-135 and KC-46 aerial refueling tankers from Ben Gurion Airport, with the aircraft transferred to regional staging bases including Al Udeid in Qatar, according to a report from the source 301 (Arab World in Telegram). The departure marks the second significant wave of US refueling aircraft evacuation from the airport in recent weeks.
The move follows The Zioneer's June 24 report that the United States had completed the evacuation of 28 refueling aircraft from Ben Gurion, and that Israel had requested the removal of roughly 20 more to alleviate congestion ahead of the summer travel season. Satellite imagery analyzed by OSINT accounts had previously shown over 60 US transport aircraft at the airport in early June, reflecting a major American logistical footprint in Israel.
The single-sourced report could not be independently verified at this time. The destination — Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — is a major US Central Command hub, and the transfer may reflect ongoing repositioning of American assets amid regional tensions with Iran and continued Israeli operations on multiple fronts. The precise timeline for further withdrawals remains unclear.
- StrongUS completes evacuation of 28 refueling aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport, Israel requests removal of 20 more
- DevelopingUS refueler departs Ben Gurion Airport as fuel crisis persists
- DevelopingOver a third of US aircraft have departed Ben Gurion Airport
- StrongUS military to relocate ~20% of refueling aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport ahead of Iran deal
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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