Airlines suspend flights between the US and Israel

(Patria) - Delta Air Lines announced on Thursday it is suspending direct flights between New York and Tel Aviv until the end of the year due to rising tensions in the Middle East, AFP reported.

The US airline joins a number of other carriers that have canceled or suspended flights in recent days to cities in the region, including Beirut and Tehran, as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified along Israel's northern border with Lebanon.

"Delta flights between New York-JFK and Tel Aviv will be paused until December 31, due to the ongoing conflict," the airline said in a statement.

The suspension means Delta has now paused all direct flights between the United States and Israel until the end of the year, a spokesperson confirmed to AFP.

Fears of a major war on Israel's northern border have increased after thousands of Hezbollah operatives' communication devices exploded across Lebanon, killing 37 people and wounding nearly 3,000 over two days in an attack the Iran-backed group blamed on Israel.

Airlines, including Air France, Lufthansa and Swiss, have temporarily suspended flights to Israel following the incident.