Air India suspends Tel Aviv flights until Aug 8 amid Middle East tensions

Amid escalating tensions in parts of the Middle East, Air India has announced the suspension of scheduled operation of flights to and from Tel Aviv with immediate effect up to and including August 8.

In a statement shared on X, Air India said that it is continuously monitoring the situation and extending support to passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv. It said that the safety of guests and crew remains the "foremost priority" for the airline.

In a post on X, Air India stated, "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," it added.

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.

On July 31, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that Ismail Haniyeh had been killed in an attack in Tehran. In a statement, the IRGC said that Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed when their house was hit in Tehran. A projectile hit a residence allocated to war veterans in Tehran at 2 am (local time) on Wednesday, according to a Press TV report.

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.

On August 1, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Thursday announced that Hamas military wing commander Mohammed Deif had been killed in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip on July 13. In a post on X, IDF stated, "We can now confirm: Mohammed Deif was eliminated."
 

The Israeli military said that it obtained intelligence confirming his death in the past few hours. Deif was targeted in a strike at Hamas' Khan Younis Brigade commander Rafa'a Salameh's compound in Khan Younis area on July 13, The Times of Israel reported.

A day later, the IDF confirmed the death of Salameh. However, it did not have final information on Deif. The IDF believed that its intelligence indicated that Deif visiting the compound belonging to Salameh was highly accurate and the two Hamas military officials were together in the building that was hit with several heavy munitions, according to The Times of Israel report.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr was killed 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.

On July 30, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his nation has delivered "crushing blows" to enemies in the last few days, CNN reported. He made the remarks hours after the deaths of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.