US aerial refueling tankers remain at Ben Gurion Airport, political correspondent Dean Fisher (N12) reports. Their continued presence comes as the airport grapples with a fuel-truck crisis that has already drawn directives from Transportation Minister Miri Regev to bar additional landings, aired by i24NEWS.
At 13:50 Jerusalem, a desk-reviewed report reports that US refueling tankers remain at Ben Gurion Airport, without specifying whether these are the aircraft that landed earlier from the Gulf or those already on the tarmac from previous deployments. The brief update comes after a morning of rapid developments: at 10:09, a series of reports detailed the escalating fuel-truck crisis — the US froze the evacuation of fuel trucks, Transportation Minister Miri Regev blocked additional landings, the Israel Airports Authority warned of 50,000 ticket cancellations, and Regev later set a limit of 20 refueling aircraft before again barring further landings. At 13:10, The Zioneer reported that additional tankers had landed from Gulf states, per N12's Dean Fisher.
The thread of antecedents shows that the dispute over fuel-truck capacity at Ben Gurion has been unfolding for weeks. At 10:09, The Zioneer reported that the US had frozen the removal of fuel trucks amid the security escalation, and that Regev had declined to approve additional landings. Subsequent reports at the same time documented the IAA's warning of up to 50,000 ticket cancellations, Regev's initial limit of 20 aircraft, and her subsequent directive to bar any additional US refuelers. The source quality has evolved from single-sourced reports to multiple confirmations, though the Telegram message remains unverified.
As The Zioneer reported on June 14, National Security Council Director Shmuel Ben Ezra had been mediating the fuel-truck shortage and a solution was expected, but the crisis has persisted. The US refueling presence is part of broader regional logistics amid the ongoing campaign against Iran, as The Zioneer has previously reported.
What remains open: the exact number of tankers currently on the ground, whether they are the same aircraft from earlier landings or new arrivals, and the operational status of Regev's directive to deny additional landings. The Telegram message is the sole source for the current presence, and no official confirmation has been issued.
11 developments
- DevelopingBen Gurion Airport warns: 500 flights at risk of cancellation unless 15 fuel trucks are added
- DevelopingAirport chief warns 100,000 July passenger tickets at risk of cancellation
- DevelopingEinav Kerner: Tens of thousands of Ben Gurion tickets at risk of immediate cancellation due to delayed US fleet evacuation
- DevelopingUS expected to relocate 20% of refueling aircraft from Ben Gurion; reports do not confirm 32-aircraft withdrawal
Source and signal
- Internal intake