Israel stops all flights due to COVID-19 quarantine issues

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered on Saturday to stop all flights to the country after passengers entered Israel without health supervision amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

According to a statement released by the Prime Minister's spokesperson, Netanyahu ordered to halt all flights until a legal solution is reached, allowing the Israeli army to immediately take the arriving passengers to hotels that were converted to quarantine facilities.

Netanyahu's decision follows Israeli media reports of United Airlines aircraft passengers, who arrived Saturday morning at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport and were not taken to quarantine.

The passengers, who came from the United States, left the airport freely, and most of them went home by taxi or private car.

According to the Israeli government's instructions, anyone who lands in the country must immediately enter a 14-day quarantine.

According to the Prime Minister's decision, airplanes that have already taken off on their way to Israel will be allowed land.