Major Airlines Suspend Flights To Israel

Major airlines from the US, Europe and Canada are refusing to fly to and from Israel after a rocket fired from Gaza landed near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion international airport.

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have suspended services between the US and Israel for at least 24 hours, while Germany's Lufthansa and Air France also suspended flights.

Low-fare airline EasyJet is also scrapping its scheduled services for today. The airline said it will "review its operations to and from Israel on a day-by-day basis".

The US bans come after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stopped American flights from travelling to Tel Aviv, citing the "potentially hazardous situation" caused by the ongoing conflict in the region.

The European Aviation Safety Agency has recommended that all European airlines avoid Tel Aviv "until further notice".

An Israeli military excavator searches for tunnels on the border with Gaza

Greece's Aegean Airlines and Air Canada have also grounded flights to Tel Aviv.

But a spokeswoman for British Airways said the airline's twice-daily service from London to Tel Aviv would continue.

"We are continuing to operate to Israel as normal," the spokeswoman said.

Israel's Transportation Ministry has urged the airlines to reconsider their decision, insisting that the nation's busiest air hub was secure.

"Ben Gurion Airport is safe and completely guarded and there is no reason whatsoever that American companies would stop their flights and hand terror a prize," it said in a statement.

The flight cancellations came as Israel continued its offensive in Gaza, where the death toll has passed 620 people.

Israel launched a major offensive on July 8 in Gaza to stop Hamas militants firing rockets over the border.

Palestinian militants have fired more than 2,000 rockets towards Israel, but many have been intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defence system.

United Airlines planes seen at Newark International Airport

More than 600 Palestinians, many of them women and children, and 29 Israelis, including 27 soldiers, have been killed in the conflict.

Ceasefire negotiations have been taking place in Egypt, where US Secretary of State John Kerry has been meeting with regional leaders.

The Palestinian leadership says it has proposed a ceasefire plan to mediators aimed at halting the violence.

On Tuesday, Mr Kerry spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and to Qatari and Turkish foreign ministers after meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi for two hours.

"The Egyptians have provided a framework and a forum for them to be able to come to the table to have a serious discussion together with other factions of the Palestinians," Mr Kerry said.

"Hamas has a fundamental choice to make and it is a choice that will have a profound impact for the people of Gaza."

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