New Delhi: Air India has announced the suspension of all flights to and from Tel Aviv effective immediately until August 8 due to the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict. The airline is closely monitoring the situation and providing support to passengers with confirmed bookings, offering a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges.
Tensions in the Middle East have intensified following the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, leading to fears of retaliation from Iran. As a result, airlines are avoiding Iranian and Lebanese airspace and canceling flights to Israel and Lebanon.
Other international carriers, including Singapore Airlines, Taiwan’s EVA Air, and China Airlines, are rerouting flights to avoid Iranian airspace, according to Flightradar24 data. OPSGROUP has also advised avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace after the recent killings of senior Hamas and Hezbollah members.
On Tuesday evening, an Israeli airstrike killed Hezbollah top commander Fuad Shukr and leader Hassan Nasrallah. Additionally, Israel confirmed on Thursday that Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’ military wing, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has threatened “harsh punishment” in response to Deif’s killing.
Hezbollah launched rockets at northern Israel on Thursday, claiming the attack was in response to an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese village of Shama that resulted in civilian casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is prepared for any scenario, both defensive and offensive, and vowed to retaliate against any attacks.
