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| International flights to and from Israel suspended over security concerns | International flights to and from Israel suspended over security concerns |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| International airlines halted flights to and from Israel indefinitely on Tuesday, citing security concerns in an unexpected twist to the two-week-old conflict in Gaza. | International airlines halted flights to and from Israel indefinitely on Tuesday, citing security concerns in an unexpected twist to the two-week-old conflict in Gaza. |
| The move came as political leaders and diplomats held urgent talks in the region with UN chief Ban Ki-moon saying his “hope and belief” was that an end to fighting could be “very near”. | The move came as political leaders and diplomats held urgent talks in the region with UN chief Ban Ki-moon saying his “hope and belief” was that an end to fighting could be “very near”. |
| Delta was the first carrier to halt flights to and from Israel after diverting a flight carrying 273 passengers bound for Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport to Paris following “reports of a rocket or associated debris near the airport in Tel Aviv”. | Delta was the first carrier to halt flights to and from Israel after diverting a flight carrying 273 passengers bound for Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport to Paris following “reports of a rocket or associated debris near the airport in Tel Aviv”. |
| The Federal Aviation Administration halted all flights by US-based airlines to and from Israel, a move followed by Air France and Dutch airline KLM. | |
| A spokesperson for Air France announced the airline had suspended all flights due to the “evolution of the security situation in Israel”. “The decision ... will come into effect immediately and remain until further notice,” he added. | A spokesperson for Air France announced the airline had suspended all flights due to the “evolution of the security situation in Israel”. “The decision ... will come into effect immediately and remain until further notice,” he added. |
| The surprise decision is likely to alarm the Israeli government and business community who have so far seen relatively few economic repercussions from the conflict. It will doubtless deliver a substantial blow to the tourism industry – the one sector that has already suffered during the conflict. | The surprise decision is likely to alarm the Israeli government and business community who have so far seen relatively few economic repercussions from the conflict. It will doubtless deliver a substantial blow to the tourism industry – the one sector that has already suffered during the conflict. |
| High level diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis continued in the region, with Ban suggesting in a video link to the UN security council in New York from Ramallah that a breakthrough could be imminent, although he could not disclose details “at this highly sensitive moment.” | High level diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis continued in the region, with Ban suggesting in a video link to the UN security council in New York from Ramallah that a breakthrough could be imminent, although he could not disclose details “at this highly sensitive moment.” |
| “Suffice it to say, it is my hope and belief that these talks will lead to results and an end to the fighting in the very near future,” he said, while acknowledging “many obstacles and complexities.” | “Suffice it to say, it is my hope and belief that these talks will lead to results and an end to the fighting in the very near future,” he said, while acknowledging “many obstacles and complexities.” |
| Earlier in Tel Aviv, he delivered a blunt message to Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, saying the bloodshed in Gaza must end as the Israeli military continued its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. | Earlier in Tel Aviv, he delivered a blunt message to Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, saying the bloodshed in Gaza must end as the Israeli military continued its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. |
| Urging Israel to exercise “maximum restraint”, the secretary-general said that he understood the state’s security concerns, “but your military response is causing many civilian casualties.” | Urging Israel to exercise “maximum restraint”, the secretary-general said that he understood the state’s security concerns, “but your military response is causing many civilian casualties.” |
| Representing Israeli frustration at external criticism of its operation in Gaza, Israel’s ambassador to the US, Ron Dermer, controversially suggested Israel should be awarded the Nobel peace prize for “fighting with unimaginable restraint”. | Representing Israeli frustration at external criticism of its operation in Gaza, Israel’s ambassador to the US, Ron Dermer, controversially suggested Israel should be awarded the Nobel peace prize for “fighting with unimaginable restraint”. |
| On the 15th day of fighting, the death toll in Gaza topped 600 with more than 3,700 injured. On Monday, the UN said one its schools used to shelter thousands of refugees from the fighting had been hit by shelling. The humanitarian agency also announced that 43% of the Gaza Strip had become a virtual no-go zone following Israeli warnings for residents to evacuate. | On the 15th day of fighting, the death toll in Gaza topped 600 with more than 3,700 injured. On Monday, the UN said one its schools used to shelter thousands of refugees from the fighting had been hit by shelling. The humanitarian agency also announced that 43% of the Gaza Strip had become a virtual no-go zone following Israeli warnings for residents to evacuate. |
| An airstrike on a house near Khan Younis killed 25 members of one family, including 18 children and five women, three of whom were pregnant, as they broke the Ramadan fast on Sunday evening. A Hamas member was also killed. | An airstrike on a house near Khan Younis killed 25 members of one family, including 18 children and five women, three of whom were pregnant, as they broke the Ramadan fast on Sunday evening. A Hamas member was also killed. |
| Israel confirmed that one of its soldiers was missing in Gaza, and that 27 others had been killed. Two civilians have also died since the conflict began two weeks ago. The missing soldier, named by the Israel Defence Forces as Oron Shaul, 20, was probably killed in or following an attack on an armoured personnel carrier during a a bloody battle in the Gaza City neighbourhood of Shujai’iya on Sunday, which killed six others in the vehicle, according to military sources. | Israel confirmed that one of its soldiers was missing in Gaza, and that 27 others had been killed. Two civilians have also died since the conflict began two weeks ago. The missing soldier, named by the Israel Defence Forces as Oron Shaul, 20, was probably killed in or following an attack on an armoured personnel carrier during a a bloody battle in the Gaza City neighbourhood of Shujai’iya on Sunday, which killed six others in the vehicle, according to military sources. |
| Ban, who travelled to Ramallah and Tel Aviv after meetings to discuss ceasefire proposals in Cairo, said at a press conference: “My message to Israelis and Palestinians is the same: Stop fighting, start talking and take on the root causes of the conflict so that we are not at the same situation in the next six months or a year.” | Ban, who travelled to Ramallah and Tel Aviv after meetings to discuss ceasefire proposals in Cairo, said at a press conference: “My message to Israelis and Palestinians is the same: Stop fighting, start talking and take on the root causes of the conflict so that we are not at the same situation in the next six months or a year.” |
| Earlier, Ban met US secretary of state John Kerry in Cairo, who arrived in the region to add his weight to efforts to reach a ceasefire deal. Reiterating his support for an immediate ceasefire, Kerry said: “Hamas has a fundamental choice to make and it is a choice that will have a fundamental impact on the people of Gaza.” | Earlier, Ban met US secretary of state John Kerry in Cairo, who arrived in the region to add his weight to efforts to reach a ceasefire deal. Reiterating his support for an immediate ceasefire, Kerry said: “Hamas has a fundamental choice to make and it is a choice that will have a fundamental impact on the people of Gaza.” |