Air Canada Suspends Flights to Israel Again, John Kerry ‘Hints’ Ceasefire Possibilities
Air Canada suspended flights to Tel Aviv due to the on-going violence in the Middle-Eastern region. Earlier major American airlines like US Airlines and Delta Air Lines cancelled scheduled flights for the same reason.
Air Canada cancelled one more flight to Israel on Wednesday July 23 while it cancelled another returning from Tel Aviv on Thursday. Flight AC84 was scheduled to fly from the Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Wednesday at 6:15 pm (local time) and reach Tel Aviv at 12:10 pm ((local time).
AC85, the return flight, was scheduled to come from Tel Aviv at 1:30 pm (local time) and reach Toronto at 6:50 pm (local time). Both the flights have been cancelled. The airline authority is reportedly evaluating the present situation to take further decision. The same flights were also cancelled on Tuesday after the rocket attack.
The Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv suffered a rocket attack on Tuesday, July 22. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an order to stop flights to or from Israel's financial centre. The European Aviation Safety Agency too asked airlines to do the same. The Israel-Palestine conflict forced several cancellations in various other fields as well.
Montreal-based entertainment company Cirque du Soleil postponed its performance in Tel Aviv until 2015. Shuki Weiss, which is responsible for the company's promotions made the announcement on Wednesday, July 24. The performances have been postponed due to safety concerns, the promotion company stated.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that there could be "some steps forward" toward a ceasefire. While his assurances may have consoled the struggled families in Gaza, Israeli leaders continue to claim that there is going to be a further escalation of its offensive against Hamas. The Islamist group too seems to be adamant about continuing the battle unless certain conditions are met. A ceasefire, which should be the only solution at the moment, to prevent the bloodbath in the region, still appears to be elusive despite the U.S. promises.
Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au