Passengers waiting to undergo security screening at Ben Gurion Airport's Terminal 1 on Thursday morning were suddenly ordered to evacuate to a protected area and leave their luggage behind.
The evacuation followed an unusual security incident at the airport entrance, where the driver of a stolen vehicle failed to stop as required.
Terminal 1 at Ben Gurion Airport
(Photo: Roman Yanushevsky/Shutterstock)
The driver was apprehended, and passengers were subsequently allowed to resume the screening process.
Dror, one of the passengers at the terminal, told ynet: "In the middle of the security screening process, an announcement suddenly instructed us to evacuate urgently to an area inside the terminal and leave all our luggage behind. Panic broke out among passengers, and rumors began circulating that there was some kind of security problem. Shortly afterward, another announcement informed us that we could return to the security screening and check-in counters."
According to information obtained by ynet, the incident began when the driver of a stolen vehicle failed to stop as required at the entrance to Ben Gurion Airport, near Terminal 1. This triggered a security protocol under which passengers were moved to a protected area until the incident was resolved.
The driver was apprehended, and after spending several minutes in the protected area, passengers were permitted to return to the screening checkpoints.