Brussels Airlines suspends flights to Tel Aviv until 12 August

The Lufthansa Group, which includes Brussels Airlines, will not be operating flights to the Israeli city of Tel Aviv until at least 12 August due to heightened tensions in the Middle East.

Brussels Airlines normally flies five times a week to and from Tel Aviv. On Thursday, the company announced that it would not be operating flights to the Israeli city until 8 August, and on Monday it extended the suspension for at least four more days.

Lufthansa and Swiss are also cancelling flights to Tel Aviv. Lufthansa earlier cancelled flights to the Lebanese capital Beirut after a rocket attack blamed on Hezbollah killed 12 children in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Transavia and Air France have also suspended flights to Beirut until further notice.

"We continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East closely and are in contact with the local authorities to see when flights can resume. Safety and security will always be our first priority," Brussels Airlines said on Monday.

"Safety and security will always be our first priority"

Passengers with a ticket for one of the cancelled flights will be offered the option of rebooking at a later date or a refund.

Last week, bombings in Lebanon and Iran killed a leader of the Iranian-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniya. The attacks have raised fears of a further escalation of violence in the Middle East.

While Iran has not yet retaliated, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday that the country "has the legal right" to punish Israel.

^{© BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND}