A paddleboarder heads into the water in Eilat, Israel. Normally, Eilat's beaches and hotels would be crowded with tourists.
NPR's Ayman Oganna
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A paddleboarder heads into the water in Eilat, Israel. Normally, Eilat's beaches and hotels would be crowded with tourists.
NPR's Ayman Oganna
Eilat, Israel — With the crystal blue waters of the Gulf of Aqaba and the rugged peaks of the surrounding mountains, Eilat has long been a major driver of Israel's tourism economy.
The thriving tourism industry in the country's southernmost town disappeared in October after Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people, according to the Israeli government. Travelers have fled and many airlines have canceled or suspended flights to Israel, although some international airlines have resumed flights to the country.
Much of Gaza is in ruins and the West Bank's economy has suffered, while Israel has also suffered an economic blow from its war with Hamas, particularly its tourism industry.
Immediately after the October 7 Hamas attack, the Israeli government evacuated many residents living near the Gaza-Lebanon border. According to a statement from the city of Eilat, about 60,000 Israeli evacuees left for Eilat, doubling the city's population. Hotels in the area are now filled with Israelis displaced by the war instead of tourists. Their housing, food, and children's education are largely taken care of by the Israeli government.
An empty beach in Eilat, Israel. The war has turned this once-booming tourist destination in southern Israel into a deserted resort town of empty storefronts and beachfronts. Instead of tourists, the hotel is sheltering Israelis who were evacuated after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
NPR's Ayman Oganna
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An empty beach in Eilat, Israel. The war has turned this once-booming tourist destination in southern Israel into a deserted resort town of empty storefronts and beachfronts. Instead of tourists, the hotel is sheltering Israelis who were evacuated after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
NPR's Ayman Oganna
Michal Rahab is another refugee who has taken refuge in Eilat. She is from Kibbutz Nirim, a small community in southern Israel. About 1 mile east of the Gaza border. According to residents, five people were killed by Hamas in Nirim on October 7, and another five were taken hostage.
Rahab said militants attacked her family's home. Her husband shot and killed one of her women and then gave her an M16 rifle.
“He gave me a gun, and we looked at each other and said, 'We're going to fight to the last bullet,'” she says. She and her husband tattooed the date of the attack and the words “until the last bullet” in Hebrew on her forearm.
Rahab's house was destroyed, but her family survived. They arrived in Eilat with nothing. Like many others, they relied on donations from people in the city. Rahab, a supply and demand planner for a major food company, said Eilat was a cocoon that helped her cope with the emotional aftermath of the Hamas attack.
“You know, Eilat, I love this city, but it's far away from everything,” she says. “And many of us…work two or three hours from here.”
Michal Rahaf survived a Hamas attack on his home in Kibbutz Nirim, near the Gaza Strip, on October 7 and moved to Eilat.
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Michal Rahaf survived a Hamas attack on his home in Kibbutz Nirim, near the Gaza Strip, on October 7 and moved to Eilat.
NPR's Ayman Oganna
After the October 7 Hamas attack, Michal Rahaf and her husband had the words “Until the last bullet” tattooed on their arms in Hebrew. Her gunmen stormed her home, her husband shot and killed one of them, and gave her a rifle to fight until her last bullet. She moved to Eilat with her family.
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After the October 7 Hamas attack, Michal Rahaf and her husband had the words “Until the last bullet” tattooed on their arms in Hebrew. Her gunmen stormed her home, her husband shot and killed one of them, and gave her a rifle to fight until her last bullet. She moved to Eilat with her family.
NPR's Ayman Oganna
While evacuees like Rahab adapted to temporary housing, business owners in Eilat adapted to the new reality: Without tourists, there would be no business. The once-bustling tree-lined streets and beaches are now deserted, as are the restaurants and shops.
For 30 years, Shmulik Zino has been showing tourists, mostly from Europe, around Eilat on a 30-foot wooden sightseeing boat.
“We do cruises with lunch and then some diving,” he says. “Usually we cruise around the borders of Jordan, Egypt and Dolphin Reef.”
Gino now spends his days maintaining the boat and tending to the colorful flower beds on the docks. He said the economy has been hit hard because there have been no tourists since October, and he's not sure if the situation will change soon.
“We don't know what will happen in the future,” he says. “There is no end in sight to this war.”
Shmulik Zino rides a tour boat decorated with 30-foot trees. Usually, Gino would take tourists on boat cruises in the Gulf of Aqaba. These days he tends to his herb and flower gardens.
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Shmulik Zino rides a tour boat decorated with 30-foot trees. Usually, Gino would take tourists on boat cruises in the Gulf of Aqaba. These days he tends to his herb and flower gardens.
NPR's Ayman Oganna
Not far away, Sammy Azoulay looked wearily at several children playing in the Gulf of Aqaba and shook his head. He runs Eilat Water Sports, which rents paddleboards and other equipment. His performance was so poor that he had to lay off 15 people.
Azoulay said many evacuees don't have money for water sports, adding that tourists don't want to come to a depressing place for vacation.
“The problem is… they don't want to stay because the atmosphere is not good. People are suffering. People are in a bad situation,” he says. “Who would want to come on vacation when there are only so many sad people here?”
Last month, the Israeli government announced a 50 million shekel (approximately $13 million) aid package for businesses in the city of Eilat, Israeli business news site The Marker reported.
Eilat Water Sports owner Samy Azoulay says he doesn't think tourists want to come to a sad place for vacation.
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Eilat Water Sports owner Samy Azoulay says he doesn't think tourists want to come to a sad place for vacation.
NPR's Ayman Oganna
Itamar Elitzl, CEO of the Eilat Hotel Association, said he hopes to use some of the funds for advertising to let Israelis know about the deals on flights and hotel rooms.
“Prices in Eilat are the lowest they've ever been.” It's like being back in the 1990s, he says.
Elitzl said the advertising campaign would encourage Israelis to “come out for some air” – to relax and take deep breaths. He said Israelis should avoid the word “vacation” because they don't want to feel guilty about enjoying themselves during the war in Gaza.
Most Israelis, he says, know someone who participated in the war, whether it's a neighbor, friend or relative. “And I can't tell them, 'I'm going on vacation.'
Elitzl said more rooms will become available as displaced Israelis in Eilat return home or find new places to live. About half of those who arrived in October have moved into new temporary housing.
The Ministry of Finance and the city of Eilat confirmed grants and other support for Israeli evacuees, but declined to comment further on the matter.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz said last month that tourist numbers had soared up until the Oct. 7 attacks and that he hoped the industry would recover and help revitalize the post-war economy, the newspaper reported. . jerusalem post.
However, the war is about to enter its fourth month, and it is unclear how long it will last.
Lahav said all the residents of her small kibbutz will soon move to the city of Beersheba, which is closer to their hometown than Eilat.
“We have to preserve it in the community,” she says. “We have to keep moving.”
Closed hotel gate in Eilat, Israel. Approximately 60,000 Israeli refugees took refuge in Israel's southernmost town after the Hamas attack. The tourism industry is now hoping for tourists to return.
NPR's Ayman Oganna
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Closed hotel gate in Eilat, Israel. Approximately 60,000 Israeli refugees took refuge in Israel's southernmost town after the Hamas attack. The tourism industry is now hoping for tourists to return.
NPR's Ayman Oganna
Anat Mara is also from a kibbutz. Nirim plans to go to Beersheba with other members of the community. She is looking forward to leaving her hotel in Eilat.
“I'm just waiting to be able to – I can't even believe I say this – but I can cook, clean and do the dishes,” she says with a laugh.
But Mara said many other displaced Israelis in Eilat, especially those from northern Israel, where skirmishes occur almost daily between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants along the border with Lebanon, are not ready to leave. He says he hasn't.
“A lot of people are just saying… 'We're not going back until security is restored and… the objectives of the fighting are achieved,'” Mara says.
This means thousands of displaced people may remain in Eilat for a long time.
On January 8th, a warship approaches Eilat, Israel. Asked about the purpose of the ship, the Israeli military told NPR, “We do not comment on the location of our troops.”
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On January 8th, a warship approaches Eilat, Israel. Asked about the purpose of the ship, the Israeli military told NPR, “We do not comment on the location of our troops.”
NPR's Ayman Oganna
eve Guterman contributed reporting from Eilat, Israel.
