Airlines Halt Flights In And Out Of Israel After Hamas Attack

Major airlines have suspended flights in and out of Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas.

Israel hit more than 1,000 targets in Gaza and Palestinian militants continued firing barrages of rockets, setting off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. A video posted online appeared to show a plume of smoke near a terminal at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.

Scores of arriving and departing flights at Ben Gurion were canceled or delayed, according to the airport’s online flight board, which also showed a steady trickle of flights. Most were operated by Israel’s national airline El Al along with others by regional carriers like Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines and Greece’s Blue Bird Airways.

American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines suspended service as the U.S. State Department issued travel advisories for the region citing the potential for terrorism and civil unrest.

American suspended service to Tel Aviv through Friday. The airline said that it has issued a travel alert providing additional flexibility for customers whose travel plans are impacted.

“We continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” American said.

United said it allowed two scheduled flights out of Tel Aviv late Saturday and early Sunday and accommodated its customers, crews and employee travelers who were at the airport. The airline said that its Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended until conditions improve.

Delta said its Tel Aviv flights have been canceled through Oct. 31. The airline said it’s monitoring the situation and making schedule adjustments accordingly. The company said customers with canceled flights or who want to change their Tel Aviv ticket should check the Delta app, or website or call Delta reservations to make adjustments.

Airlines in Europe and Asia also put flights on hold amid the hostilities, offering refunds and waiving rebooking fees for passengers.

Air France said that it has suspended services to Tel Aviv “until further notice” after coordinating with French and Israeli authorities.

“The airline is constantly monitoring the geopolitical situation in the areas served and overflown by its aircraft in order to ensure the highest level of flight safety,” Air France said in on its website.

Germany’s Lufthansa, which suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until Saturday, said Monday that the decision regarding its planes and those of its subsidiaries was made “due to the still unclear developing security situation in Israel and after an intensive analysis of the situation.”

The Lufthansa Group includes Austrian Airlines, Swiss and Brussels Airlines as well as Lufthansa itself.

Hong Kong’s main carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways, said that “in view of the latest situation in Israel,” it was canceling its Tel Aviv flights scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday.

“The safety of our passengers and crew are our top priority. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely,” the airline said on its website, adding it would provide another update on Friday ahead of its third weekly flight on Sunday to the Israeli city.

Virgin Atlantic canceled its service between London’s Heathrow Airport to Tel Aviv on Monday and Tuesday as well as part of that route on Wednesday.

Budget airline Wizz Air, which flies to Israel from Abu Dhabi and more than two dozen airports in Europe, said it was canceling all flights to and from Tel Aviv “until further notice.”

The U.K. discount carrier easyJet said that “due to the evolving situation in Israel,” it has decided to “temporarily pause operations,” by canceling its Monday flights from London Luton and Manchester airports to Tel Aviv.

“Our thoughts are with those who have been affected and the safety and security of our passengers and crew is always EasyJet’s highest priority,” easyJet said in a statement.

British Airways said it’s planning to continue operating flights to Israel “over the coming days with adjusted departure times.”

Dutch carrier KLM said it’s scrubbing flights to Tel Aviv “until and including Wednesday.”

On Oct. 7, 2023, the Islamic Resistance Movement, the terror group also known as Hamas, launched a surprise attack on Israel by means of land, air and sea. Hundreds of civilians have been killed as the Israel Defense Forces, or the IDF, attempt to dislodge Hamas combatants.

What is Hamas?

Hamas was founded in 1987, although its origins extend far beyond that. The group is distinct from the Palestine Liberation Organization, another wing of the legislative body that governs Palestine. In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative election, and has remained in power since.

Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States all consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization, while some countries, such as New Zealand and Paraguay, view only the groups's military wing as such.

Hamas is known to be highly antisemetic, both towards individual Jews and the greater state of Israel.

Where is Gaza?

Gaza, also known as the Gaza Strip, is a Palestinian enclave, meaning it is separated from the rest of the country, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

Sunni Muslims make up the majority of the population of Gaza, although there is a small Christian minority.

Despite being a part of Palestine, Israel has control over much of the Gaza Strip, controlling the areas airspace, seaports and six of the strip's seven land access routes. This control has often deemed Gaza as an "open-air prison."

Has Conflict Erupted In Gaza Before?

In June, 1967, Israeli forces captured the Gaza Strip from Egyptian Forces towards the end of the Six-Day War. The war saw the invasion from, and later expulsion of, the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait from Israeli territory.

On Dec. 27, 2008, following the breakdown of a temporary truce between Israel and Palestine, Israeli fighter jets bombed several locations in Gaza, marking the beginning of the Gaza War. The targets bombed ranged from police stations, schools, hospitals, UN warehouses, and mosques to various other structures. Israel claimed those buildings were being used to house weapons.

Israel said the bombings were a response to Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel, and on Jan. 3, 2009, a ground invasion of the territory by the IDF began.

Between 1,100 and 1,400 Palestinians, and 13 Israelis were killed before the Gaza War came to an end on Jan. 18, 2009.