Thousands of Israelis stranded abroad as airlines suspend flights to Tel Aviv amid regional tensions

Public broadcaster KAN said around 4,000 passengers are stuck outside Israel and have contacted the Foreign Ministry in Tel Aviv to facilitate their return.

Due to the escalating tension between Israel and Hezbollah, 15 international airlines have canceled their flights to and from Tel Aviv since last Monday, with some suspending flights for at least a few days and others indefinitely.

Flights between Tel Aviv and Eilat in southern Israel were also canceled on Saturday night and throughout Sunday due to the tense security situation, the Israeli paper Maariv added.

Tension has escalated between Hezbollah and Israel since Tel Aviv assassinated senior military commander Fouad Shukr in an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburb on July 30.

Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was also assassinated in Tehran the following day, in an attack blamed on Israel although Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied its responsibility.

Hamas and Iran have vowed to retaliate for Haniyeh’s assassination, while Hezbollah has pledged to respond to Shukr’s killing.

Fears have grown over a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah amid a months-long exchange of cross-border fire.

The escalation comes against the backdrop of an Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which has killed nearly 39,600 victims since last October, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.