Israel on Sunday reopened its airspace to allow limited outbound flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport for the first time since the start of the war with Iran, offering a safer and more convenient option exit for thousands of Americans stranded in the country.

The first passengers began departing earlier this morning under a tightly controlled system put in place by Israeli authorities, with only a small number of flights permitted each hour and strict limits on the number of travelers per aircraft.

Under the current framework, Israeli airlines are initially allowed to operate a small number of outbound flights each hour, with roughly 70 passengers permitted on each aircraft and a portion of seats reserved for humanitarian and diplomatic cases.

The reopening comes as governments work to evacuate citizens stranded across the region. The U.S. State Department said Sunday that more than 32,000 Americans have returned to the United States from the Middle East over the last eight days through a combination of commercial travel and nearly two dozen charter evacuation flights.

However, even as flights resume, the security situation remains volatile. Iranian missile fire has continued to target central Israel today, prompting periodic air raid alerts and raising concerns among officials about the safety of civilian aviation.

According to reports in Israeli media, Transportation Minister Miri Regev is facing pressure from to close the country’s airspace again after renewed missile barrages toward central Israel, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the fragile resumption of flights. At least three people were seriously injured on Sunday in the Tel Aviv area from missile fragments.

During the period when Israel’s airspace was closed, many travelers attempted to leave the country by land through neighboring Egypt or Jordan in order to catch international flights.

However, several seminaries in Israel have issued an urgent warning asking parents not to send students home through Egypt after incidents were reported involving girls who were assaulted while traveling through the country.

Israeli officials say the number of outbound flights will increase gradually if security conditions permit, but they cautioned that schedules could change quickly depending on developments in the conflict.