UPDATES WITH OTHER AIRLINES; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE
By Merve Berker and Beyza Binnur Donmez
ANKARA/GENEVA (AA) - Due to the escalating tensions between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, many flights to and from Beirut airport were either canceled or delayed on Monday.
The German airline group Lufthansa announced the suspension of flights to the Lebanese capital Beirut, citing current developments in the Middle East, the spokesperson said on Monday.
This suspension affects flights from carriers SWISS, Eurowings, and Lufthansa until at least Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for the airline group.
"A total of five rotations will be removed from the flight program," the spokesperson added.
A similar decision came from Air France as it announced a two-day suspension of flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Beirut airports, effective from Monday, according to broadcaster France 24.
Its low-cost carrier, Transavia, also suspended its flights.
The decision came amid an escalation of Israeli threats, reaching a fever pitch following a missile strike on Saturday in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, targeting the town of Majdal Shams. The incident has heightened tensions along Israel's border with Lebanon and Hezbollah.
The attack resulted in the deaths of 12 members of the Druze community, most of whom were children, and left around 40 others injured.
While Israel has blamed the Lebanese group Hezbollah for Saturday’s attack in Majdal Shams, the group denied any responsibility.
Fears have grown about a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah amid an exchange of cross-border attacks between the two sides.
The escalation comes against the backdrop of a deadly Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which has killed more than 39,300 people since last October, following an attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.