ISTANBUL

Employees at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv were evacuated on Sunday after the detection of smoke from an unidentified package, the daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

"Fire and Rescue Services reported a hazardous materials incident at Ben Gurion Airport following 'a package that arrived in a shipment and emitted smoke,'" it said.

The authorities were monitoring the operations to identify the nature of the material and remove it, the outlet added.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.