Middle East Flights Cancelled Amid Escalation Fears
As Israel prepares for potential retaliation from Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran, airlines are canceling flights to the Middle East region, leaving travelers stranded and families desperate to flee.
The cancellations come following the deaths of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli strike near Beirut in the last days of July.
Lufthansa Group, Air India, and ITA Airways have all canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran, and Beirut, citing geopolitical developments. Delta Air Lines has extended its suspension of Tel Aviv flights until August 31, and United Airlines has indefinitely suspended its Tel Aviv route.
The widespread cancellations have left some Israelis stranded abroad. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has created an online form to assist those seeking to return home.
At Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, families like Enav Graff and her husband are forced to make difficult decisions, fleeing their home country out of fear for their safety.
“I am stressed all the time that there is going to be rockets, I do not feel safe here anymore,” Enav told The Washington Post.
Hamas confirmed last Wednesday that its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an Israeli strike on his residence in Tehran. Haniyeh had just attended the inauguration of Iran’s new president before the attack.
The movement blamed Israel and the US for his death, vowing that the attack would not go unanswered.
The escalating tensions in the region continue to cast a shadow over travel, leaving many passengers caught in the crossfire.
