Several international air carriers said Sunday evening that they had suspended flights to Tel Aviv due to the Hamas attack on Israel.
American carriers United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines announced that they had suspended direct flights, just like Air France had previously.
More airlines are canceling flights
In a statement United Airlines said it operated two scheduled flights to the United States from Israel on Saturday and Sunday, but the services had been suspended “until conditions allow them to resume.”
Representatives Delta Airlines said they were monitoring the situation to make changes to flight schedules if necessary, but flights “have been canceled this week.”
Earlier on Sunday, the largest air carrier in Europe, German Lufthansacanceled all flights to/from Tel-Aviv until Monday due to the “security situation.”
The same decision was made by Lufthansa’s subsidiary, the Belgian airlines Brussels Airlines. The low-cost airline of the Air France-KLM group, Transavia, also announced the cancellation of all flights to Tel-Aviv until Monday.
“Due to the situation in Israel,” the Spanish low-cost airline Iberia Express made the same decision.
Similar decisions were made, among others, by: Greek lines Aegean AirlinesSwiss Swiss (after analyzing the situation, Swiss also operated flights from/to Tel-Aviv mid-day on Saturday), Austrian Airlines and Hungarian Malev.
Wizz Air announced on Sunday evening that due to the escalation of the conflict in Israel, it “suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice.” Also PLL LOT – the national carrier informed on Saturday that “due to the threat to air traffic, PLL LOT flights from Tel Aviv may be delayed or canceled in the coming days.”
Crisis in Israel
On Saturday, approx. At 6.30 local time (5.30 in Poland), the Hamas attack on Israel began. Fighters have infiltrated many cities in the south of the country. Israel was also attacked with thousands of rockets.
On Sunday afternoon, the Israeli military announced that it was carrying out massive airstrikes against targets in the Palestinian Authority where Hamas fighters are believed to be hiding. “The Israeli Defense Forces will continue operations against the Hamas terrorist organization,” the Israeli army said in a statement. The army also reported “several hundred” militants killed following the attacks; the Palestinian authorities have not yet confirmed this information. The armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigade, also reported the “fierce fighting”
Head of the Pentagon Lloyd Austin announced on Sunday that USA sent a strike group with the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford to the Eastern Mediterranean region, and will also provide the Israeli military with equipment and ammunition. President Biden said in a conversation with the Israeli Prime Minister that aid is on the way and more shipments will be sent soon.
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