Major airlines suspend flights amid Middle East violence

Investing.com -- Several airlines have halted or reined in some flights to Israel following the escalation of violence between the country's forces and Palestinian group Hamas.

According to travel website FlightAware, 97 flights have been cancelled as of 06:58 ET (10:58 GMT) on Monday at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, considered to be Israel's main travel gateway. Meanwhile, 73 have been delayed, although Ben Gurion noted on its website that departures and landings are still "working as planned."

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL), easyJet (LON:EZJ), Wizz Air (LON:WIZZ) were among some of the carriers to scrap planned flights to Tel Aviv, FlightAware data showed. Airspace regulators in the U.S., European Union, and Israel have all urged airlines to use caution when flying in the country, Reuters reported.

Shares in European airlines, including Wizz Air, easyJet and British Airways-owner IAG (BME:ICAG), slipped on Monday, weighed down by a jump in oil prices. United, American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL), and Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) were also lower in premarket U.S. trading.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalated to full-blown war over the weekend, as members of the Islamist group Hamas attacked several Israeli towns, killing hundreds of Israelis and abducting dozens more. In response, Israeli air strikes pounded targets in Gaza, resulting in numerous casualties.