Air India cancels all flights to Israel till Aug 8 amid fear of conflict

Air India, which operates four weekly flights from Delhi to Israel had earlier cancelled a flight to Tel Aviv as tensions grip West Asia after the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran

Amid escalating tensions in West Asia after the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran on Wednesday, Air India announced on Friday (August 2) that it is cancelling all flights to Israel till August 8.

The airline said that it will provide a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges for those who have already pre-booked their tickets.

“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 8 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,” Air India said in an announcement on X (formerly Twitter).

The move comes amid several international airlines also cancelling operations in Israel. United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways have already suspended their operations to Israel.

Earlier, on Thursday, Air India had cancelled a scheduled flight from New Delhi to Tel Aviv. The Indian carrier operates four weekly flights from Delhi to Tel Aviv.

Iran’s declaration of strike on Israel

A day after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered a direct strike on Israel, reported The New York Times.

The US national daily quoted three Iranian officials who were directly informed of the order, including two members of the Revolutionary Guards. According to the report, Khamenei gave the directive during an emergency meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on Wednesday morning, shortly after Iran announced Haniyeh’s death.

Both Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of orchestrating the assassination. Israel, currently in conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in Haniyeh’s killing. Haniyeh was in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new president when he was killed.

In a public statement about Haniyeh’s death, Khamenei vowed that Iran would retaliate, saying, “We see avenging his blood as our duty,” and underscoring that the assassination took place on Iranian soil. He declared that Israel had invited “a severe punishment”.