NewsAirlines halt Israel flights amid escalating regional tensions

Airlines halt Israel flights amid escalating regional tensions

Lufthansa airplanes
Lufthansa airplanes
Images source: © DPA, PAP | Boris Roessler

2:54 PM EDT, August 1, 2024

Airlines have suspended connections with Israel. Seven carriers have decided on this move, which is related to the increase in tension in the region. This happened after 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 suspended flights. FlyDubai, a low-cost airline from the United Arab Emirates, canceled some flights.

According to the Times of Israel, crowds of passengers appeared today at Ben Gurion Airport. Some travelers tried to get on flights from Israel, fearing further cancellations, while others canceled their trips due to concerns that their return flights would be canceled.

Airlines suspended connections with Israel due to the sharp increase in tension between Israel and Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran and operates from Lebanon.

On Saturday, the terrorist group Hezbollah fired 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 conducted an attack in Beirut on the operational commander of Hezbollah's military wing, Fuad Shukr, who the army stated was responsible for the deaths of children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous other Israeli civilians.

The following day, another attack was carried out, this time in Tehran. The victim was the leader of the terrorist organization Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, who had traveled from Qatar, where he had lived for many years, to the capital of Iran for the inauguration of the new president.

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