Latest news with #ManoMaritime
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Thousands of young tourists stranded in Israel evacuated on a luxury cruise ship to Cyprus
More than 1,000 young tourists, from all over the world, have been evacuated from Israel by luxury cruise ship following the escalation of hostilities with Iran. Crown Iris, operated by Mano Maritime, set sail with 1,500 participants from the Birthright Israel programme, a not-for-profit outfit offering educational group trips. The passengers were taken to Larnaca, Cyprus, in a secretive operation. The cruise ship has been escorted by the Israeli Navy to ensure its safety. From the Mediterranean island, participants from the US – which make up the bulk of young adults – will be flown to Florida on planes chartered by the state's governor, Ron DeSantis, according to a statement from the organisation. 'This was a complex and emotional operation, carried out under immense pressure, and we are proud to have brought 1,500 young adults safely to Cyprus,' said Gidi Mark, CEO of Birthright Israel. 'Our team continues to work around the clock to secure solutions for the remaining participants still in Israel.' Mandi Kuran, from Melbourne, Australia, was among those rescued on Crown Iris. 'We had the opportunity to truly dance again with 1,500 of our brothers and sisters (and children because #weold) and are now safely in Cyprus,' she wrote on Facebook. 'On our way home to our family and friends; we were safely escorted by the Israeli Navy the entire way. 'Forever grateful to the Israeli government and Birthright to get us out safely and on our way home to our families.' Josh Goldberg, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, shared on social media ahead of the evacuation that his group was getting 'bombed all night' but that in 'a crazy turn of events' he was on board the ship to Cyprus. He added: 'With some major political string pulling, Birthright Israel Foundation chartered a full on cruise ship from Israel to Cyprus with Israeli naval escort, and from there, thanks to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis 1000+ Birthright Participants from all over the world are getting picked up by the Florida national guard and airlifted to Tampa!!!! 'Never in my wildest dreams was this on my bingo card for this summer!' There were a total of 2,800 Birthright visitors in the country when Israel launched its strike on Iran last Friday (13 June). Those who didn't leave on the ship have left by other means or are staying in Israel, according to The Jerusalem Post. Thousands waiting to head to Israel this summer have had their trips scrapped or postponed, and a large event for the organisation's 25th anniversary has been cancelled. Israel's airspace has been closed since Israel and Iran began trading attacks, stranding tens of thousands whose flights to Tel Aviv were cancelled. However, Israel's airlines said on 17 June that they had received government permission to start flights to bring back people who had been stranded abroad during the conflict with Iran. Israel's transport ministry estimates that more than 50,000 stranded Israelis are trying to come home.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
More than 1,000 young tourists stranded in Israel evacuated on luxury cruise ship
More than 1,000 young adults visiting Israel on a heritage trip have been evacuated to Cyprus by luxury cruise ship amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. Crown Iris, an Israeli cruise ship operated by Mano Maritime, arrived in Cyprus today (17 June) with approximately 1,500 program participants of Birthright Israel onboard. The ship's 13-hour journey from Ashdod Port, south of Tel Aviv, to Larnaca, Cyprus, was escorted across the Mediterranean by the Israeli navy. Birthright Israel, an organisation part funded by the Israeli government, is a free 10-day 'heritage trip' to Israel for Jewish young adults aged between 18 and 26. Nearly 2,800 international participants had been stranded in Israel since the country first attacked Iran's nuclear sites and capital of Tehran on Friday morning, escalating regional tensions. The majority of these are young adults from the United States, said the organisation. Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis chartered four wide-body planes to fly all evacuated US participants from the Cyprus port to Tampa, Florida. In an update on 13 June, Birthright Israel said: 'All participants are safe, currently located near secure zones and shelters, and are being closely cared for by the operational teams and staff on the ground.' According to Birthright Israel, evacuation efforts 'whether by air or sea' will continue for the remaining international participants in Israel. It said that priority had been given to participants towards the end of their 10-day educational experience. Gidi Mark, CEO of Birthright Israel, said: 'This was a complex and emotional operation, carried out under immense pressure, and we are proud to have brought 1,500 young adults safely to Cyprus. Our team continues to work around the clock to secure solutions for the remaining participants still in Israel.'
New York Times
5 days ago
- New York Times
Israeli Airline Will Bring Back Stranded Israeli Travelers
El Al, Israel's national airline, said on Tuesday that it had received governmental approval to take back Israeli travelers stranded in Athens, Rome, Milan, Paris and Larnaca, Cyprus, starting on Wednesday, on the fifth day of deadly attacks between Israel and Iran. 'We are preparing to operate recovery flights in accordance with the framework and guidelines set by the Ministry of Transportation,' El Al said in a statement, adding that these flights were already full. Priority for flight assignment was based on original flight cancellation dates and urgent medical cases, the airline said. Israeli airspace has been closed for commercial flights since Friday morning, and roughly 100,000 to 150,000 Israelis who left the country before its surprise attack on Iran have been stranded overseas. Regularly scheduled El Al flights will be canceled until at least Monday, the airline said. It was unclear when people who were visiting Israel when the strikes began would be able to leave the country. There were no outbound passenger flights from Israel to international destinations, El Al added in its statement. The Israeli National Security Council has advised citizens not to return home by crossing the border with Jordan or Egypt because of security risks. In addition to the Israelis who are expected to return home via El Al, some stranded Israeli tourists will be returning to Israel from Cyprus via a cruise ship operated by the Israeli cruise company Mano Maritime. The company said a ship would leave Limassol, Cyprus, on Thursday. The Times of Israel, citing a statement from Mano Maritime, said the ship could carry 2,000 passengers and that after the first trip, the ship would return to Limassol to pick up more Israelis. The journey, which the Times of Israel said would be run in coordination with Israel's transportation ministry, takes about 16 hours each way. Mano Maritime did not respond to a request for comment. Some Israelis travelers are considering remaining abroad for now, given that there are few signs the fighting will end soon. Civilian casualties are rising in both Iran and Israel, where 24 people have died and about 600 were injured. Israeli strikes in Iran have killed more than 200 people and injured 1,400.
