The Taba land crossing has been working almost as normal since the war began. AFP
The Taba land crossing has been working almost as normal since the war began. AFP
The Taba land crossing has been working almost as normal since the war began. AFP
The Taba land crossing has been working almost as normal since the war began. AFP

Only way home: How Israel's southern border with Egypt is functioning as Iran conflict stops flights


Thomas Helm
  • English
  • Arabic

When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the order to launch a massive attack against Iran last week, sparking an open-ended war between the arch enemies, many thousands of Israelis, Palestinians and other residents were left with next to no options to return home.

Ben Gurion Airport, a proud, ultra-high security symbol of Israel's resilience, was shut down indefinitely, so great is the risk from Iranian missile fire.

The national carrier El Al, whose planes are fitted with advanced air defence systems, spirited its planes off to airfields abroad. The airline is known for almost always flying, even when other carriers cancel for security reasons. Only at the worst moments since Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel in 2023 has it been forced to cancel or delay a handful of services.

While open at certain times, many land border crossings are unpredictable, in particular the Allenby Bridge, which links Jordan to the occupied West Bank, which itself is under draconian restrictions.

Israel mounted an attack on Iran's state broadcaster in Tehran on Monday. Getty Images
Israel mounted an attack on Iran's state broadcaster in Tehran on Monday. Getty Images

Only at the Eilat-Taba border crossing with Egypt, on a quiet and scenic corridor of land in the very south of Israel, have things been working almost as normal since the war began. The pocket of continuity is a testament to the oft-tested, still-enduring 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty.

Despite trepidation and official warnings, most people The National spoke with at Taba and Eilat on Monday seemed calm. After crossing into a modern Israeli terminal, the first thing to be seen was a photo of the former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and former Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin shaking hands as the beaming US president Jimmy Carter looked on. It was the moment that heralded peace between two countries who for many decades had been bitter, warring enemies.

On the more ornate Egyptian side of the border, just after a line of hotel resorts, soldiers in white uniforms scanned bags and asked a trickle of passengers only a few questions about why they were travelling. A glimpse of an Israeli passport or work visa was enough to end any line of interrogation.

The most direct exercise of authority was a soldier, without asking, taking a piece of chewing gum from a traveller’s pile of pocket items left at the side of a metal detector, to smiles all round. Most of the conversations were held in Arabic, because most of the people crossing were Palestinians who hold Israeli passports.

Israelis have nonetheless been urged not to use crossings with Arab states. Israel's National Security Council has warned its citizens not to try to get home through Jordanian or Egyptian land crossings.

A building in Petah Tikva damaged by a missile fired from Iran on Monday. Getty Images
A building in Petah Tikva damaged by a missile fired from Iran on Monday. Getty Images

Moaz, an Egyptian taxi driver ferrying passengers to the crossing, said he did not understand the trepidation. “Israelis need to understand there are never any problems here,” he said. “The government is strong, the place is safe and people want to earn a living from travellers.”

As the sun rose over Sinai’s martian landscape, the bleak lack of Israeli tourism after October 7 became clear. Sharm El Sheikh, home to luxurious hotels and concert venues, and the world-famous diving hotspot Dahab further up the coast, seemed to be doing fine. But Nuweiba, where there are dozens of simple camps that used to be full of young Israelis, were completely abandoned.

At the Eilat-Taba crossing, the only non-Arab Israeli citizens The National saw were security and border staff. An officer checking passports on the Israeli side asked with some bemusement why people were crossing into a warzone at all. “I get it for Israelis and people like journalists, but we still get some regular visitors and I just don’t understand why they come,” she said.

A Prayer Before Dawn

Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire

Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai

Three stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

SHADOWS%20AND%20LIGHT%3A%20THE%20EXTRAORDINARY%20LIFE%20OF%20JAMES%20MCBEY
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Alasdair%20Soussi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20300%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Scotland%20Street%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20December%201%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

Saudi Cup race day

Schedule in UAE time

5pm: Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup (Turf), 5.35pm: 1351 Cup (T), 6.10pm: Longines Turf Handicap (T), 6.45pm: Obaiya Arabian Classic for Purebred Arabians (Dirt), 7.30pm: Jockey Club Handicap (D), 8.10pm: Samba Saudi Derby (D), 8.50pm: Saudia Sprint (D), 9.40pm: Saudi Cup (D)

MATCH INFO

Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)

Match is live on BeIN Sports

THE SCORES

Ireland 125 all out

(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)

UAE 125 for 5

(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)

UAE won by five wickets

The specs: Fenyr SuperSport

Price, base: Dh5.1 million

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm

Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km

match info

Maratha Arabians 138-2

C Lynn 91*, A Lyth 20, B Laughlin 1-15

Team Abu Dhabi 114-3

L Wright 40*, L Malinga 0-13, M McClenaghan 1-17

Maratha Arabians won by 24 runs

From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases

A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.

One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait,  Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.

In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.

The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.

And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.

 

India team for Sri Lanka series

Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.

T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Company profile

Company name: Suraasa

Started: 2018

Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker

Based: India, UAE and the UK

Industry: EdTech

Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding

Tips to avoid getting scammed

1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday

2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment

3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone

4) Try not to close the sale at night

5) Don't be rushed into a sale 

6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour

Updated: June 18, 2025, 10:09 AM`