Major airlines suspend flights to Israel as regional tension escalates

ANKARA

Major airlines have suspended their flights to Israel as regional tension continued to escalate with Iran and Hezbollah following the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh.

Germany’s Lufthansa Group canceled its flights to Israel until Aug. 13. Its unit Swiss International Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings also scrapped flights until Aug. 12.

US carrier Delta Air Lines said it will halt flights to Tel Aviv until Aug. 31, while the Dutch KLM Airline announced a suspension of all flights to Israel until Oct. 26.

US carrier United Airlines said all flights to Israel will be suspended until further notice, adding that it will “continue to monitor the situation and will focus on the safety of our customers and crews as we decide when to resume service.”

Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on July 31 after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president. While Hamas and Iran accused Israel of carrying out Haniyeh’s assassination, Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied responsibility.

Hezbollah has also threatened to retaliate against Israel following the assassination of its senior commander Fouad Shukr in an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburb on July 30.

The escalation comes against the backdrop of Israel’s devastating war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 39,600 people and injured over 91,600 others since Oct.7, 2023 following a Hamas attack.