Israel’s army has confirmed that the first boat carrying Israelis stranded abroad due to the Iran-Israel war has arrived with 1,500 citizens aboard, AFP reports.

“As part of the Ministry of Transportation’s Operation ‘Safe Return’, a passenger ship bringing Israelis from the Port of Limassol in Cyprus docked today… at the Ashdod Port with over 1,500 Israelis on board,” the army said in a statement.