Airlines suspended routes and canceled flights to Beirut on Monday amid fears of a full-blown war between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Germany's national airline Lufthansa said it had suspended five routes to and from the Lebanese capital until August 5 out of “an abundance of caution,” with its subsidiaries Swiss International Air Lines and Eurowings following suit.
Turkish Airlines, Greek carrier Aegean Airlines, Ethiopian Air and Lebanese carrier Middle East Airlines also reportedly canceled flights due to land in Beirut on Sunday and Monday.
The U.S. State Department said Sunday that some airlines were “adjusting their flight schedules in Lebanon” or “considering temporary alterations to their flight plans” in response to the rising tensions, and encouraged travelers to reconsider travel to Lebanon.
Relations between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah are at a record low after 12 children were killed in a rocket attack on a football pitch in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday. Israel and the U.S. have attributed the attack to the militant group, while Hezbollah has strongly denied any involvement.
Israel has vowed to retaliate, with its security cabinet authorizing Benjamin Netanyahu's government to decide on the "manner and timing" of its response on Sunday evening.
Lebanese civil defense said Monday morning that an Israeli drone strike in the south of Lebanon killed two people and wounded three others.
"We will ensure Hezbollah, the proxy of Iran, pays a price," Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday.
Politico
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