"Security has top priority for Lufthansa. Due to the still unclear situation in Israel and after intensive analysis of the situation, Lufthansa has decided to suspend its regular flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Saturday (14 October)," the company said on its website, adding that it will continue to monitor the situation closely.
The airline also urges passengers to check current status of their flight before heading to the airport.
The conflict has led other European air carriers to scrap flights to and from Israeli airports. Scandinavia’s second-largest airline, Norwegian, said on social media it had canceled this week’s flights from Copenhagen and Stockholm to Tel Aviv. Belgium’s flag-carrier Brussels Airlines said it had suspended regular flights to and from Tel Aviv through Saturday “due to the still unclear situation in Israel.”
“If you have a booking to or from Tel Aviv up to and including 22 October, you can change it to a later date free of charge. You can also cancel your ticket free of charge,” it added.
On Saturday morning, the Palestinian movement Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government declared a state of war on Sunday, mobilizing reservists. On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, with no food, gas, and electricity supplies. Both sides have reported hundreds of deaths and thousands of injured as a result of the ongoing conflict.