Israel allows flights at Ben Gurion airport amid escalation with Hezbollah

JERUSALEM

The Israeli government allowed flights on Tuesday at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv despite an ongoing escalation with Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Following an assessment session, Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev gave instructions to the civilian aviation agency and airport authority to continue flights at the airport, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

The minister said the decision allows Israelis abroad to return back to Israel.

The decision came amid a suspension of flights to Israel by several international airlines, including British Airways, which decided to halt its flights to the country on Wednesday.

The situation escalated on Monday after Israel launched deadly airstrikes on Lebanon, killing at least 492 people, including 35 children, and injuring 1,645 others, while thousands of people have fled their homes.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the beginning of Tel Aviv’s war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,400 people, the majority of whom are women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

Israeli forces intensified their attacks on Lebanon, ignoring the international community's warnings that they would risk spreading the Gaza conflict to other regions.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar