Israeli military orders Eilat airport closed, cites unspecified security concerns

JERUSALEM – Israel’s military said Thursday it has ordered the closure of the airport in the Red Sea resort of Eilat, citing unspecified security reasons.

The military instructed the airport to cancel all landings and departures until further notice, said an official in the military spokesman’s office. She said the decision was made as a result of a security assessment, but did not elaborate. She spoke on condition of anonymity in line with briefing regulations.

Eilat, on Israel’s southern tip, is a major destination for domestic and international tourists. It is close to Egypt’s increasingly lawless Sinai Peninsula. Militants have fired rockets from the Sinai toward Eilat in the past, but it was not immediately clear if concern about rocket fire prompted the current closure.