Following the closure of Israel's airspace due to the war with Iran, hundreds of medical professionals have found themselves stranded abroad, far from their hospitals and clinics, at a time when the healthcare system needs them most and readiness is at its highest alert level. Dozens of doctors from several hospitals have boarded a merchant ship on a special rescue voyage back to Israel, sources told Ynetnews. Among them are doctors from Sourasky Medical Center, Rambam Health Care Campus, and Sheba Medical Center.
In an assessment held Monday night at the Health Ministry, officials reported ongoing efforts to rescue medical teams stranded abroad. The ministry has completed mapping and received prioritization lists from all institutions: approximately 390 medical personnel have been classified as first priority for return, and about 315 as second priority.
“The Health Ministry is planning some rescue operations, but nothing is guaranteed, so I took this option,” said Prof. Yehuda Ullmann, head of the surgical division at Rambam Health Care Campus, who is currently aboard the ship. About two weeks ago, he traveled with his wife and friends for a vacation in Madagascar. “The war broke out just as we were scheduled to board a flight to Ethiopia and then to Israel. At the airport, they were instructed not to board passengers whose final destination was Israel,” he explained. “I wasn’t willing to stay there even one more moment since it would be very hard to evacuate from there if necessary, so we changed our route to Frankfurt.”
“I head the surgical division, but my specialty is plastic surgery, treating burns and trauma — all very relevant to wartime. I felt terrible not being in Israel; it’s frustrating. As a physician, it feels wrong to be far away, especially given my role. Once it became clear that there was a chance to evacuate by sea, I flew alone to the port where the ship was departing.”
Efforts to accelerate rescue flights
Beyond those returning to Israel aboard the merchant ship, hundreds of other medical professionals are still waiting abroad, trying to understand when they will be able to return to their hospitals and clinics. Dr. Tzachi Slutsky, deputy director of Soroka Medical Center and chairman of the Israeli Association for Emergency Medicine, traveled last week with his wife and three children for a weekend family trip in Europe. “The plan was to return between Saturday and Sunday,” he told Ynet. “Like everyone else, we woke up Friday morning to the Iranian strike and quickly realized this was going to be significant.”
Prof. Yehuda UllmannPhoto: Gil NechushtanSince the start of Operation Rising Lion, 83 wounded individuals have been admitted to Soroka, including trauma and orthopedic injuries. Five are still hospitalized. Meanwhile, the hospital continues to treat casualties from fighting in Gaza. “My role in Israel doesn't allow me to disconnect from what’s happening, so we started managing remotely as much as possible,” Dr. Slutsky explained.
“There are enough experienced people at the hospital to take on any role, but being deputy director is still very significant. I’m responsible for operating rooms and intensive care, so I stay involved remotely as much as possible,” he added.
The Health Ministry is working to bring back doctors on rescue flights, which may begin as early as tomorrow. Twenty-six doctors from Soroka are currently stranded abroad. “Even once the rescue flights start, it’ll still be complicated because the flights will probably leave only from two specific locations for essential personnel, which means leaving families behind in this situation,” said Dr. Slutsky.
Dr. Tzachi SlutskyPhoto: Soroka“Being abroad during these times is extremely difficult. The desire to return is very strong — to be part of managing this historic event. Soroka is still receiving wounded from Gaza, and we’re preparing for mass casualty events as the Iranian attacks continue. I send my strength to the emergency medical teams standing at the front lines across the country during these complex days.”
“Being stuck far away — it’s a difficult feeling of helplessness”
Dr. Israel Yoles, an OB-GYN and director of a women's health center in Modi’in Illit for Clalit, was on a flight returning from Boston on Thursday night. “At 3 a.m. Israel time, just minutes before takeoff, the pilot announced that an Israeli strike on Iran had just begun, and we were taken off the plane and back to the terminal,” he told Ynet. “El Al handled it well, putting all passengers up in a hotel for three nights.”
Dr. Yoles had been in Boston for an obstetrics epidemiology conference where he presented Clalit research. Once he realized the airspace had closed, he registered for El Al rescue flights. “I’m keeping things in perspective. It’s not easy, but I remind myself that we still have hostages and soldiers in Gaza, and families with young children sitting right now in safe rooms."
Dr. Israel YolesPhoto: Clalit HMOAs a community physician, Dr. Yoles treats about 30 patients daily. “Some are under pregnancy monitoring, and others may need immediate care in exceptional cases,” he said. “The clinic staff is fantastic, but management still falls on the team that remained behind. Being the manager from afar is a difficult feeling.”
He also described receiving a call from a patient stranded in Greece. “She’s a breast cancer patient stuck there without her medication. She asked me to issue a prescription so she could somehow obtain the drugs. But from here I’m powerless — I have no stamp or computer access. I referred her to a physician who could help, but these are the kinds of improvisations we’re having to make remotely.”
Dr. Yoles also noted that research in both Israel and abroad has shown that stress is linked to obstetric complications, repeated miscarriages, and preterm labor. “Today, the head nurse wrote to me that, during a rocket alert, a patient arrived, tragically, with intrauterine fetal death. We know these events happen, but during stressful periods, their incidence definitely rises. And in situations like this, as a physician and clinic manager who knows his patients but is stuck far away, you feel completely powerless,” he said. “In times like these, you don’t feel like going to restaurants or seeing shows — you’re glued to the news sites and constantly messaging family and the clinic. You’re just waiting for the skies to reopen so you can get home.”
“We’re constantly thinking about how to get back”
Prof. Benjamin Fox, director of the Pulmonary Institute at Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), also became stranded abroad after attending a pulmonary conference last week in Munich. Simultaneously, his wife, Dr. Liat Attas-Fox, an ophthalmologist, traveled to a fellowship program in Sweden. The two met up afterward in Amsterdam. “On a personal level, it’s worrisome because our daughters (15, 18, and 21) are relatively grown, but still dealing with this situation without their parents,” said Prof. Fox. “Professionally, it’s very difficult knowing my colleagues are managing the load, the stress, the shifts — I feel disconnected from the team, even though I’m its leader.”
Prof. Benjamin FoxPhoto: Idan Gross“We have patients who need routine care, but there’s always the fear of a mass casualty event, and I’m unable to be there to support patients and colleagues. It’s frustrating,” he added.
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Since the escalation, the couple has been actively searching for ways to return to Israel. “I’m working independently to get back; I’m not just sitting and waiting,” said Prof. Fox. “I found a way for my wife and me to return on a Mano Cruises ship. Registration opened this morning, and I managed to secure spots.” The ship is expected to sail to Israel later this week. “Even here in the heart of Amsterdam, I’m not out touring or enjoying vacation — we’re constantly focused on finding a way back. Now that I’ve found a route, I feel a bit calmer.”
The Health Ministry reports that approximately 700 medical personnel are currently stranded abroad due to the airspace closure and are prioritized for return. “It’s hard to quantify the disruption to operational continuity, but clearly a shortage like this reduces output,” he added.