Airlines suspend flights to Israel amid escalating violence that leaves scores of Palestinians dead

Israel's escalating violence with Palestinians saw several airlines on Thursday suspend services to the state amid mass global criticism for its actions towards Palestinians.

Dutch airline KLM has halted flights to Israel for the time being, Dutch public broadcaster NOS said. A flight from Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport that was postponed earlier in the week due to the violence has been cancelled for good and KLM is deciding whether a flight due on Sunday can go ahead, NOS said.

British Airways cancelled its service to and from Tel Aviv on Thursday and Virgin Atlantic also did the same for Thursday and Friday.

Both airlines said they are monitoring the situation closely whilst Germany's Lufthansa cancelled flights for Thursday and Friday, adding: "Lufthansa expects to resume its flight operations to Israel beginning Saturday, May 15."

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The Spanish airline also ancelled its flight Madrid to Tel Aviv for Thursday and Friday-Saturday's return leg.

An Iberia spokeswoman told AFP: "We will take further decisions based on the evolution of the situation."

The Polish airline LOT said it had "suspended flights to Israel for the moment". Spokesman Krzysztof Moczulski added: "I suppose that we will not be flying there in the coming days".

The escalation in the conflict was sparked by Israel’s plans to forcibly expel residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood and its assaults on worshippers at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, which injured hundreds of Palestinians during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.