Air France has prolonged the halt on flights between Paris and Beirut until at least Sunday, citing the security conditions in Lebanon. Both Air France and its budget arm, Transavia, have ceased flights to Beirut since July 29, following Israel's declaration of intent to respond after rocket attacks from Lebanon resulted in the death of 12 individuals in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Transavia has similarly extended its flight suspension until Sunday.
"The decision to resume operations will depend on an updated evaluation of the local conditions," Air France stated in an announcement on its website late Wednesday. "Air France reaffirms that the safety of its passengers and crew is its foremost concern," it added. Other carriers have also suspended their services to Beirut. Tensions have escalated significantly over the past week, with Iran and its supporters vowing to retaliate for the assassinations of Hezbollah's chief military strategist Fuad Shukr in Lebanon and Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, both attributed to Israel. Hezbollah has been engaged in almost daily exchanges of fire with Israeli forces along the border between Lebanon and Israel.
