Israelis detained after storming runway in failed attempt to catch flight to Tel Aviv

The first Israeli to reach the ground then brushed past an airport worker and climbed onto a vehicle holding the plane in place, seemingly in an attempt to block the flight from taxiing to the runway.

The man can be seen waving his arms as Turkish staff stand nearby.

Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı'nda İstanbul-Tel Aviv uçuşunu kaçıran İsrail uyruklu baba ve oğlu, körük kapısını zorlayarak açtıktan sonra aprona atladı.

İki yolcu, çalışanlar ve polis tarafından etkisiz hale getirilerek gözaltına alındı. pic.twitter.com/dyMRdzGJS8

— Yeni Şafak (@yenisafak) July 4, 2023

Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a father and two sons had been arrested in Istanbul and detained at a police station after they missed their flight.

The video of their escape attempt has received tens of thousands of views online.

Describing the incident as "absolutely nuts", academic and Turkey expert Louis Fishman asked: "What the heck were they thinking?"

Travellers from the Jewish state are currently visiting Istanbul in "significant numbers" he wrote on Twitter, adding that incidents such as this helped to create an image of the "ugly Israeli tourist".

Earlier this month, three Israelis were detained in Turkey after allegedly filming and harassing a flight attendant.

The men, who were travelling to Istanbul, were among nine people held after the plane landed.

The sister of one detainee told Ynet the attendant called the police and claimed the Israeli passengers had sexually harassed her.