U.S. protest prompts Israel to lift Ben Gurion ban on U.S. refueling planes after just one day

Israel's Transport Ministry lifted a ban on U.S. military refueling planes at Ben Gurion International Airport on Wednesday, just one day after its imposition, following a U.S. protest. The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) had enacted the temporary ban due to capacity concerns during the summer travel season, as U.S. military aircraft occupied over half of the airport's parking, with 34 planes exceeding a previous agreement to reduce their presence to 20. IAA CEO Sharon Kedmi stated the congestion threatened the cancellation of "some 50,000 flight tickets." Following the U.S. protest, Transport Minister Miri Regev directed the ban's removal, with some U.S. military aircraft to be relocated to Israeli military bases to align with the agreed-upon numbers.