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US dispatches munitions to Israel as American death toll rises to 11
The US has already begun delivering critically needed munitions and military equipment to Israel, and the Pentagon is reviewing inventories to see what else can be sent quickly to boost its ally in the three-day-old war with Hamas, a senior Defense Department official said Monday.
“Planes have already taken off,” said the official, who declined to provide details on the weapons. The official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive shipments, also warned that the US is closely watching Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed groups, noting that the decision to shift American ships in the region was to deter any of them from entering or expanding the conflict against Israel.
The weapons movement came as President Joe Biden announced that the US death toll in the war has gone up to 11.
The official said the US is “flooding the zone” with calls and other messages so that extremist groups and other nations know they should not question America's commitment to supporting the defense of Israel. The official, however, did not comment on whether US military forces would be used at all. While the official said the US has the ability to support weapons needs in Ukraine and Israel and maintain security for America, the rapid delivery of munitions to the new war has raised concerns.
Congress must pass more funding quickly for the US to be able to give both Israel and Ukraine the weapons and munitions they both now need, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said Monday. “The intent is to lean forward in support of Israel,” she said. "But in particular with munitions and the ability to support Israel and Ukraine simultaneously, additional funding is needed to increase our capacity to expand production and then also pay for the munitions themselves.”
It is clear the administration is now facing potentially competing requests from Israel and Ukraine for additional weaponry. And while there is strong bipartisan support in Congress for aid to Israel, the next steps are uncertain, with the House lacking a leader after the ouster of the Republican speaker and the Senate out of town until next week. Also uncertain is whether the debate over further assistance to Ukraine, which is opposed by a group of hard-right Republicans, will complicate efforts to pass assistance for Israel.
In addition to the 11 American citizens whose deaths Biden confirmed, an undetermined number of remain unaccounted for. It was not yet clear if the missing are dead, in hiding, or had been taken hostage. Biden said the US believes it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held hostage by Hamas, but officials are working to confirm that. “I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts,” Biden said in a statement.
Airlines halt flights in and out of Israel
Major airlines have suspended flights in and out of Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas.
Israel hit more than 1,000 targets in Gaza and Palestinian militants continued firing barrages of rockets, setting off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Video posted online appeared to show a plume of smoke near a terminal at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport.
Scores of arriving and departing flights at Ben Gurion were cancelled or delayed, according to the airport's online flight board, which also showed a steady trickle of flights. Most were operated by Israel's national airline El Al along with others by regional carriers like Turkey's Pegasus Airlines and Greece's Blue Bird Airways.
American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines suspended service as the US State Department issued travel advisories for the region citing potential for terrorism and civil unrest. American Airlines suspended service to Tel Aviv through Friday. The airline said that it has issued a travel alert providing additional flexibility for customers whose travel plans are impacted. “We continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” it said.
United Airlines said it allowed two scheduled flights out of Tel Aviv late Saturday and early Sunday and accommodated its customers, crews and employee travellers who were at the airport. The airline said that its Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended until conditions improve.
Delta said its Tel Aviv flights have been cancelled through Oct. 31. The airline said it's monitoring the situation and making schedule adjustments accordingly. The company said customers with cancelled flights or who want to change their Tel Aviv ticket should check the Delta app, website or call Delta reservations to make adjustments.
European carriers put flights on hold
Airlines in Europe and Asia also put flights on hold amid the hostilities, offering refunds and waiving rebooking fees for passengers. Air France said that it has suspended services to Tel Aviv “until further notice” after coordinating with French and Israeli authorities.
“The airline is constantly monitoring the geopolitical situation in the areas served and overflown by its aircraft in order to ensure the highest level of flight safety,” Air France said in on its website.
Germany's Lufthansa, which suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until Saturday, said Monday that the decision regarding its planes and those of its subsidiaries was made “due to the still unclear developing security situation in Israel and after an intensive analysis of the situation.”
The Lufthansa Group includes Austrian Airlines, Swiss and Brussels Airlines as well as Lufthansa itself.
Hong Kong's main carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways, said that “in view of the latest situation in Israel,” it was cancelling its Tel Aviv flights scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday. “The safety of our passengers and crew are our top priority. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely,” the airline said on its website, adding it would provide another update on Friday ahead of its third weekly flight on Sunday to the Israeli city.
Virgin Atlantic cancelled its service between London's Heathrow Airport to Tel Aviv on Monday and Tuesday as well as part of that route on Wednesday. Budget airline Wizz Air, which flies to Israel from Abu Dhabi and more than two dozen airports in Europe, said it was cancelling all flights to and from Tel Aviv “until further notice.”
The UK discount carrier easyJet said that “due to the evolving situation in Israel,” it has decided to “temporarily pause operations," by cancelling its Monday flights from London Luton and Manchester airports to Tel Aviv. “Our thoughts are with those who have been affected and the safety and security of our passengers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority,” easyJet said in a statement.
British Airways said it's planning to continue operating flights to Israel “over the coming days with adjusted departure times.” Dutch carrier KLM said it's scrubbing flights to Tel Aviv “until and including Wednesday.”