Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Airlines should avoid Lebanese and Israeli airspace for the coming month, the European Union said, amid an escalation in air strikes and rocket fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
In a statement, the European Commission and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) expressed “an overall intensification of air strikes and degradation in the security situation”.
They gave an official recommendation “not to operate within the airspaces of Lebanon and Israel at all flight levels”.
Provisionally lasting until 31 October 2024, the Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) “can be examined earlier and adapted or withdrawn”, the statement said. “EASA will continue to closely monitor the situation, to assess whether there is an increase or decrease of risks for EU aircraft operators as a result of the evolution of the threat,” the body stated.
How has the security situation changed in the region?
The Israeli army has officially declared the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah, who had been the head of the Iran-backed militant group for 32 years, was conveyed to have been the target of strikes in Beirut. Nasrallah had reportedly not been caught in public for years because of fears of being assassinated by Israel.
Killing Nasrallah has incised a major escalation on the Israeli side. For much of the early conflict with Hezbollah (which began on 8 October – a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel) it was understood Israel would not assassinate the group’s most senior executives. However, Israel has extinguished several senior members of Hezbollah over recent months.
Under Nasrallah’s administration, Hezbollah has enabled train fighters from Hamas and militias in Iraq and Yemen and reportedly received missiles and rockets from Iran for use against Israel.
