Air India has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv effective immediately until August 8 amid escalation of Israel-Hamas war.
“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 August 8, 2024,” the statement read.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and providing support to passengers with confirmed bookings during this period, offering a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges,” the airlines said in a statement.
Air India operates four flights from Delhi to Tel Aviv every week.
Meanwhile, other airlines United Airlines and Delta Airlines have already suspended daily flights to and from Israel, citing security concerns amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
British Airways told CBS News it’s still operating flights to and from Tel Aviv and that it hasn’t cancelled any flights “at this time”.
The decisions came in the wake of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh's assassination in Iran's capital after he attending the inauguration of the country's new president.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has ordered Iran to strike Israel directly, in retaliation for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Khamenei gave the order at an emergency meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on July 31 shortly after Iran announced that Haniyeh had been killed.
Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of the assassination. Israel, which is at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, has neither acknowledged nor denied killing Haniyeh, who was in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new president.