Airlines suspend Israel flights amid escalating regional tensions
Airlines are suspending flights to Israel. Seven carriers have made this decision due to increased tensions in the region. This move followed an incident where a Lufthansa plane flying from Munich to Tel Aviv landed in Larnaca, Cyprus.
Delta, United Airlines, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Air India have all suspended flights. Fly Dubai, a low-cost airline from the United Arab Emirates, has also cancelled some flights.
According to the Times of Israel portal, crowds of passengers appeared today at the capital's Ben Gurion Airport. Some travellers were trying to catch flights out of Israel for fear of further cancellations, while others were cancelling trips for fear that their return flights would be affected.
Airlines suspended flights to Israel due to a sharp increase in tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran and operates out of Lebanon.
On Saturday, Hezbollah launched rockets at the border town of Majdal Shams, resulting in the deaths of 12 children and teenagers when a missile hit a soccer field. In retaliation, on Tuesday, Israeli forces carried out an attack in Beirut on the operational commander of Hezbollah's military wing, Fuad Shukr, who, according to the army, was responsible for the deaths of children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous other Israeli civilians.
The next day, another attack was carried out, this time in Tehran. The victim was the leader of the terrorist organization Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, who had travelled from Qatar, where he had lived for many years, to the Iranian capital for the inauguration of the new president.
