United Airlines suspending daily flights to Israel amid rising tensions

United Airlines said it is suspending daily flights to Israel starting on Wednesday, citing security concerns amid rising tensions in the Middle East. 

The decision comes after Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran’s capital after attending the inauguration of the country’s new president. Iran blamed Israel for the strike, with its foreign ministry saying the U.S. also bears responsibility as Israel’s biggest ally. 

The Jerusalem Post reported that Delta Air Lines also intends to suspend flights to Israel. The carrier didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS News. 

United had resumed direct flights between the U.S. and Tel Aviv in June, following a decision last year to suspend flights in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel. 

“Beginning with this evening’s flight from Newark Liberty to Tel Aviv, we are suspending for security reasons our daily Tel Aviv service as we evaluate our next steps,” United said in a statement on Wednesday. “We continue to closely monitor the situation and will make decisions on resuming service with a focus on the safety of our customers and crews.”

British Airways told CBS News that it is still operating flights to and from Tel Aviv and that it hasn’t canceled any flights “at this time.”

If a flight is canceled or significantly delayed, airlines must refund passengers “promptly,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The agency defines “prompt” as within seven business days if a ticket was purchased using a credit card, and within 20 days if a customer used cash or a check. 

—With reporting by CBS News’ Kathryn Krupnik.