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Israel-Palestinian conflict: Several airlines suspend flights to country

Paris - Airlines say they are monitoring the situation closely.

Israel’s escalating conflict with the Palestinians saw several airlines on Thursday suspend services to the Jewish state amid global alarm and diplomatic efforts to halt the spiralling violence.

Dutch airline KLM has halted flights to Israel for the time being, Dutch public broadcaster NOS said. A flight from Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport that was postponed earlier in the week due to the violence has been cancelled for good and KLM is deciding whether a flight due on Sunday can go ahead, NOS said.

British Airways cancelled its service to and from Tel Aviv on Thursday and Virgin Atlantic also did the same for Thursday and Friday.

Both airlines said they are monitoring the situation closely.

Germany’s flag carrier cancelled flights for Thursday and Friday, adding: “Lufthansa expects to resume its flight operations to Israel beginning Saturday, May 15.”

Aeroflot cancelled its Moscow-Tel Aviv flight for Friday but did not specify if others would be cancelled in the coming days.

The Spanish airline cancelled its flight Madrid to Tel Aviv for Thursday and Friday-Saturday’s return leg.

An Iberia spokeswoman told AFP: “We will take further decisions based on the evolution of the situation.”

United, which operates 18 flight weekly to Israel, said it was suspending operations.

Delta and American Airlines also confirmed they have suspended services between New York and Tel Aviv.

The Polish airline said it had “suspended flights to Israel for the moment”. Spokesman Krzysztof Moczulski added: “I suppose that we will not be flying there in the coming days”.