Air India suspends all flight operations to Tel Aviv amid tensions in Middle East, offers full refund

Air India has stopped all flight operations to and from Tel Aviv with immediate effect till further notice in light of the worsening scenario surrounding Israel in the Middle East. All customers with confirmed tickets will receive a full refund. Following the killings of three prominent terrorist leaders from Hamas and Hezbollah, regional tensions in the Middle East increased as everyone prepared for a potential Iranian strike on Israel.

"In view of the current situation in parts of the Middle East, scheduled operation of our flights to and from Tel Aviv are suspended with immediate effect until further notice. We are continuously monitoring the situation and are offering a full refund to our passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv. Safety of our guests and crew remains our topmost priority," said Air India in a post on X.

The development comes after the killings of Hamas' top political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Lebanon, Both militant groups are backed by Iran, which has threatened retaliation over their deaths. Israel has verified that Hamas military chief Muhammad Deif died in an attack last month.

Iran has said the US bears responsibility in the assassination of Haniyeh because of its support for Israel. To exacerbate tensions, Hezbollah on Tuesday (August 6) launched a series of drone and rocket attacks into northern Israel, but warned that the killing of a top commander last week by Israel was yet to be avenged. Meanwhile, the US has sent ship-based Navy fighter jets to a base in the Middle East to help protect Israel amid escalating tension between Israel and Iran, said a US official. 

• Air India
• Hamas
• Middle East
• Tel Aviv
• Hezbollah