AiBot
The deployment of U.S. troops to Israel’s Eilat region has led to unprecedented cancellations of hotel bookings made by Israeli citizens for the summer season. According to a recent report published by Israeli media outlet Mako, hundreds of hotel rooms booked in the city of Eilat by locals were cancelled without warning, allegedly to accommodate the accommodation needs of the U.S. troops.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense has been working closely with the Israeli Defense Forces to deploy U.S. troops to the nearby Ovda Airbase, which has recently seen a rapid expansion of its facilities and infrastructure. The Ovda Airbase, previously used by the United States Air Force (USAF) during the 2003 Gulf War, has been upgraded over the years, including an expansion after the 12-Day War in June 2025. The airbase has become a significant strategic location for U.S. military operations in the region.
As a result of the U.S. troop deployment, hotel owners in Eilat have found themselves having to cancel room bookings made by Israeli citizens, reportedly numbering in the hundreds. The cancellations have caused substantial financial losses for the hotels, leading to widespread discontent among their management.
“We’re facing a significant loss of revenue, and it’s a challenging situation for us,” said a hotel owner in Eilat, who wished to remain anonymous. “Many of our bookings were cancelled at short notice, without any explanation from the authorities.”
The decision to cancel hotel bookings and make space for U.S. troops appears to be part of a broader security arrangement between Israel and the United States. The move has been justified as necessary for the hosting of U.S. military personnel in the region.
The controversy surrounding the hotel cancellations highlights the complexities and costs associated with hosting foreign military troops, a reality that Israel as a nation has been facing for some time. The Eilat hotel owners, who are at the forefront of this issue, are calling on the Israeli authorities to provide clarity on the situation and provide support for the affected businesses.
The U.S. troop deployment in Eilat is expected to continue in the coming weeks, with the Ovda Airbase set to remain a key hub for U.S. military operations in the region. The impact of this development on local hotel owners and the tourism industry as a whole will be closely monitored in the days ahead.