The total number of foreign airlines to suspend flights to and from Israel has reportedly reached 20.
More international airlines have announced the suspension of their flights to and from Tel Aviv, as Israel raised its security alert amid escalating tensions in the region.
“Due to the geopolitical developments in the Middle East and to ensure the safety of its passengers and crews, ITA Airways has decided to extend the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv until August 12 included,” the Italian airline ITA said on its website. “The situation is constantly evolving.”
The Spanish airline Vueling also notified passengers of the cancellation of its flights to Israel and Amman until the end of October, “given the current situation in Israel.”
“Due to the current situation, which is beyond Vueling’s control,” flights to or from Tel Aviv and Amman, the Jordanian capital, “have been canceled until October 26th.”
In view of the current situation in parts of the Middle East, scheduled operation of our flights to and from Tel Aviv are suspended with immediate effect until further notice. We are continuously monitoring the situation and are offering a full refund to…
— Air India (@airindia) August 9, 2024
Air India said on Friday, “In view of the current situation in parts of the Middle East, scheduled operation of our flights to and from Tel Aviv are suspended with immediate effect until further notice.”
“We are continuously monitoring the situation,” the airline added and offered “a full refund” to passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv.
Earlier this month US airlines Delta and United announced the suspension of flights to Israel amid “security concerns.”
As of Wednesday, the total number of foreign airlines that have suspended flights to and from Israel reached 20, the Anadolu news agency reported, citing Israeli media.
The US, UK, and France also issued a travel advisory requesting its citizens to avoid traveling to Lebanon or leave the country immediately.
Military Escalation – Advisories Issued as US Airlines Halt Flights to Israel
Officials Assassinated
Last week, Israel announced that it was raising its security alert level in response to potential retaliatory attacks from Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.
The decision came after Israeli forces assassinated two senior Resistance officials, Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas’ political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran’s capital, Tehran.
The escalation comes against the backdrop of an Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip which has killed nearly 39,700 people since last October following the October 7 resistance operation.
Israel Assassinates Senior Hezbollah Official, Fouad Shukr – Who Was He?
Over 39,000 Killed
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Tel Aviv is currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 39,677 Palestinians have been killed, and 91,645 wounded. Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
205 Aid Workers Killed, 9 in 10 Palestinians displaced – UNRWA
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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