European Airlines Halt Flights to Israel amid Rising Tensions

Italian carrier ITA Airways has announced a halt on all flights to and from Israel until January 12, according to Israel Hayom newspaper.

ITA Airways is currently the only Italian airline providing regular service to Israel.

French airline Air France has extended its suspension of flights to Israel until December 26, shifting from previous weekly cancellations to a nearly 45-day suspension.

Initially, Air France had suspended flights only until November 12 but has now decided to extend the pause.

Greek airline Aegean Airlines will also maintain its suspension of flights to Israel until December 3.

In recent days, additional European carriers have either canceled flights to Israel or prolonged existing suspensions due to the growing tension.

On Wednesday, Spanish airline Iberia canceled its flights through the end of November after a missile from Lebanon struck near a parking area at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport.

American Airlines has further removed all flights to Israel from its schedule until September 2025, and other international carriers, including Virgin and Delta, have canceled flights through spring 2025.

Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, Israel has intensified its offensive on Gaza.

The Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip reported Sunday that at least 51 additional Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes, pushing the total death toll since last year to 43,603.

A ministry statement noted that approximately 102,929 others have been injured in the ongoing assault.

The ongoing blockade and assault have left the majority of Gaza's population displaced and facing severe shortages of essentials such as food, clean water, and medical supplies.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar aimed at establishing a Gaza ceasefire and a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas have stalled, with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly unwilling to halt the war.

Meanwhile, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.