A rocket attack carried out on Sunday on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights region killed 12 children and teenagers. Although it has not claimed responsibility yet, it is believed the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is behind it and, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking retaliation, airlines are suspending flights to Lebanon out of fear of being caught up in an imminent war.
So far, Air France has suspended flights between Paris and the Lebanese capital of Beirut, where the country’s only airport, Rafic Hariri International Airport, is, at least until Tuesday. “Air France is monitoring the situation in Lebanon in real time”, the airline said. Jordan’s flag carrier, Royal Jordanian Airlines, has also suspended flights to Beirut until Tuesday.
Lufthansa airline and group members Swiss and Eurowings, on the other hand, have cancelled all flights until next week. The five affected routes are suspended at least until 5 August out of “an abundance of caution”.
Turkish Airlines, Aegean Airlines, Ethiopian Air and Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines have also reportedly cancelled flights to Beirut on Sunday and Monday, but it is not clear at the time of writing whether further embargos will be set in place.
“The security environment in Lebanon remains complex and can change quickly”, the US Department of State said in a statement warning American citizens against travelling to Lebanon. The same announcement warns those who have already made travel plans that “itineraries could change with little or no warning” and they should “monitor their flight status closely”.
In the aftermath of the rocket attack, the Israeli security cabinet authorised the government to respond whenever and however it saw fit. “We will ensure Hezbollah, the proxy of Iran, pays a price”, the country’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, wrote on X on Sunday. On Monday, an Israeli drone strike killed two people and wounded another three in the south of Lebanon, while Israeli jets carried out attacks on multiple villages in south Lebanon and one close to the Bekaa valley.
“Hezbollah, in turn, started moving precision-guided missiles. An official with a Lebanese group told the Associated Press that Hezbollah does not want a full-blown war with Israel, but, if war breaks out, it will fight without limits”, Belga news agency has reported.
