Air India suspends Delhi-Tel Aviv flights till Oct 14 amid escalating Hamas offensive in Israel

New Delhi: Air India has suspended its to and from Delhi-Tel Aviv till October 14, in response to the ongoing Hamas offensive that erupted on Saturday, resulting in the tragic loss of lives and leaving several people injured.

“Our flights to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended till 14th October, 2023, for the safety of our passengers and crew. Air India will extend all possible support to passengers who have confirmed bookings on any flight during this period,” said an Air India spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, on Sunday said that the Indians who are in Israel can contact the Indian embassy for any help.

Speaking to media persons here, he appealed to Indians in Israel to stay in safe shelters and to follow the advisory by the Ministry of External Affairs.

He said that only those in Israel knows the ground realities and that Indian embassy personnel in Israel are ready to help the Indians in that country.

Fears of a huge ground invasion of Gaza are growing after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to turn the besieged Palestinian enclave into a “deserted island” in response to the worst attack his country has suffered in decades,the media reported.

The pledge came after gunmen from Hamas, which governs Gaza, rampaged through Israeli towns and killed at least 250 people on Saturday while retreating with soldier and civilian hostages in the deadliest day of violence for Israel since the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago.

The Israeli military responded with devastating retaliatory strikes on Gaza, killing more than 230 Palestinians in the blockaded strip.

Israeli forces were still bombing Gaza and fighting with Hamas gunmen in parts of southern Israel in the early hours of Sunday and a spokesman for the military said the situation in the country was not totally under control, Al Jazeera reported.

–IANS