SKoreans prepare to leave Israel amid virus fears

Israel's Airports Authority said two planes carrying South Korean tourists will depart from Ben Gurion Airport on Monday after Israel banned entry to non-Israeli nationals who had visited South Korea or Japan in the past 14 days.

The move comes after South Korea informed Israel that nine members of the group who toured Israel and the West Bank for a week this month tested positive for the new virus.

The tourists were diagnosed upon returning home.

The Population and Immigration Authority says that since Saturday, 918 South Koreans have left the country due to virus fears, and another 824 are currently in the country.

An El Al flight was transporting around 150 people back to Seoul and another one was due to leave later on Monday, officials said.

Some of those leaving had spent the night at the airport.

Japanese nationals were also seen being helped by embassy staff at the airport and were to leave on a separate flight.

The repatriations follow a diplomatic row which erupted after Israel turned back a South Korean airliner, underscoring fear and tensions over the outbreak.

A Korean Air flight with 188 passengers that landed at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport on Saturday evening was taxied away from the terminal while authorities allowed only 11 Israelis to enter the country.

The plane returned to South Korea with the rest of the passengers on Sunday.