logo
Lufthansa to resume flights to Tel Aviv from June 23

Lufthansa to resume flights to Tel Aviv from June 23

Khaleej Timesa day ago

Germany's Lufthansa airline group said Friday it would restart flights to and from Tel Aviv on June 23, having suspended them early last month amid the ongoing regional conflict.
The group said in a statement that the decision would affect Lufthansa, Austrian, SWISS, Brussels Airlines Eurowings, ITA and Lufthansa Cargo but that "for operational reasons", the individual airlines would only resume services "gradually".
"The decision is based on an extensive security analysis and in coordination with the relevant authorities," it added.
May 4 rocket attack launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels, and extended the suspension several times since.
The missile landed near a car park at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport and injured six people, the first time a missile had penetrated the airport perimeter.
The Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel since the war in Gaza began in October 2023 with Palestinian militant group Hamas's attack on Israel.
The Houthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians, paused their attacks during a two-month Gaza ceasefire that ended in March, but began again after Israel resumed its military campaign in the territory.
The Israeli army has reported several such launches in recent days, with most of the projectiles being intercepted.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Israel retrieves body of Thai hostage from Gaza
Israel retrieves body of Thai hostage from Gaza

Dubai Eye

timean hour ago

  • Dubai Eye

Israel retrieves body of Thai hostage from Gaza

The Israeli military has retrieved the body of a Thai hostage who had been held in Gaza since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday, as further Israeli airstrikes killed 15 people according to local medics. Nattapong Pinta's body was held by a Palestinian group called the Mujahedeen Brigades, and was recovered from the area of Rafah in southern Gaza, Katz said. His family in Thailand has been notified. Pinta, an agricultural worker, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small Israeli community near the Gaza border where a quarter of the population was killed or taken hostage during the Hamas attack that triggered the devastating war in Gaza. Israel's military said Pinta had been abducted alive and killed by his captors, who had also killed and taken to Gaza the bodies of two more Israeli-American hostages that were retrieved earlier this week. There was no immediate comment from the Mujahedeen Brigades, who have previously denied killing their captives, or from Hamas. The Israeli military said the Brigades were still holding the body of another foreign national. Only 20 of the 55 remaining hostages are believed to still be alive. The Mujahedeen Brigades also held and killed Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, according to Israeli authorities. Their bodies were returned during a two-month ceasefire, which collapsed in March after the two sides could not agree on terms for extending it to a second phase. Israel has since expanded its offensive across the Gaza Strip as US, Qatari and Egyptian-led efforts to secure another ceasefire have faltered. At least 15 Palestinians were killed and 50 injured from Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza City district of Sabra in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, local health authorities said. The Israeli military did not immediately comment. It later warned people to evacuate the nearby district of Jabalia, saying it was going to strike there after rockets were launched by militants in the vicinity. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday that Gaza's hospitals had sufficient fuel for only three more days and that Israel was denying access for international relief agencies to areas where fuel storages designated for hospitals are located. There was no immediate response from the Israeli military or COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that coordinates humanitarian matters with the Palestinians

US-backed aid group halts Gaza delivery; Hamas denies threat
US-backed aid group halts Gaza delivery; Hamas denies threat

Middle East Eye

time2 hours ago

  • Middle East Eye

US-backed aid group halts Gaza delivery; Hamas denies threat

The US-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) says it paused all aid distribution on Saturday, citing what it described as 'direct threats' from Hamas that endangered staff and civilians. 'These threats made it impossible to proceed today without putting innocent lives at risk,' the organisation said in a statement posted online. 'GHF will not be deterred. We remain committed to safe, secure and independent aid delivery. We are actively adapting our operations to overcome these threats and fully intend to resume distributions without delay.' A senior Hamas official, speaking to Reuters, denied any knowledge of the alleged threats aimed at the US-funded initiative. The GHF project has faced backlash from UN agencies and established humanitarian organisations, who argue they already have the capacity to deliver aid effectively to the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza under siege.

Syria closes controversial Rukban refugee camp near Jordanian border
Syria closes controversial Rukban refugee camp near Jordanian border

Middle East Eye

time3 hours ago

  • Middle East Eye

Syria closes controversial Rukban refugee camp near Jordanian border

Syrian authorities have shut down a controversial refugee camp near the Jordanian border that has long faced criticism over dire conditions for its residents. A spokesperson for the Syrian Emergency Task Force, which coordinated activity related to Rukban camp, said all those previously hosted there had returned home and the camp is now 'closed and empty'. Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa said on X on Saturday that the closure of the camp, established in the early years of the Syrian civil war in 2011, marked the end of "a tragic and sorrowful chapter of displacement stories created by the bygone regime's war machine". At its height, the camp hosted as many as 100,000 inhabitants. But over time, many left due to the poor conditions, returning either to government-held areas or other parts of Syria with the help of smugglers. Numbers also dwindled after Jordan closed its border and stopped regular aid deliveries in 2016. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters With little to no aid coming in, residents lacked access to food staples, basic medical supplies and health infrastructure. They were forced to live in makeshift dwellings without access to running water or basic sanitation, while the school system was all but nonexistent. "Rukban was not just a camp, it was the triangle of death that bore witness to the cruelty of siege and starvation, where the regime left people to face their painful fate in the barren desert," added Mustafa. Armed groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham overthrew the government of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Since then, many Syrians living in exile or in camps have begun returning to their original homes, no longer fearing reprisals from Assad's government. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says around 1.87 million Syrians have returned to their places of origin since December. However, the IOM says the "lack of economic opportunities and essential services" still poses a challenge for returnees.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store