Dozens of Israeli passengers remain stranded in Saudi Arabia after the kingdom refused to allow the IDF or the State of Israel to send an official rescue aircraft, according to reports from the scene.
Instead, Saudi authorities have instructed Fly Dubai, the carrier that operated the original flight, to retrieve the passengers and return them to Israel. But some of the Israelis on the ground are now refusing to board a plane operated by the same company, deepening the standoff at the Saudi airport.
The incident has left Israeli citizens on the soil of a country that does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Israel, with no immediate resolution in sight.
Further details to follow.
