Rising Middle East tensions force Air India to suspend Tel Aviv flights.

New Delhi: Due to the escalating tensions in the Middle East qwing to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Air India has announced the suspension of all flights to and from Tel Aviv until August 8.

“In view of the ongoing situation in parts of the Middle East, we have suspended scheduled operation of our flights to and from Tel Aviv with immediate effect up to and including 08 August 2024. We are continuously monitoring the situation and are extending support to our passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv during this period, with a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges. Safety of our guests and crew remains our foremost priority,”.

The decision of the airlines comes amid tensions in the Middle East after Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an attack in Iran’s capital Tehran.

Ismail Haniyeh, who was based in Qatar, travelled to Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Iranian President-elect, Masoud Pezeshkian, according to a Press TV report.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said they also killed top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in the Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday (local time).

The IDF said Shukr was “responsible for the majority of Hezbollah’s most advanced weaponry, including precise-guided missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range rockets, and UAVs” and for the terror group’s “force build-up, planning, and execution of terror attacks against the State of Israel,” The Times of Israel reported.