Air France Extends Suspension of Paris-Beirut Flights Until Aug 6

This combination of pictures created on August 03, 2024 shows a Transavia Boeing 737-800 parked on the tarmac at Paris Orly airport on June 26, 2020 and Air France planes parked during an Air France pilots strike on the tarmac of Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy on September 24, 2014. (Photo by ERIC PIERMONT and STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP)
This combination of pictures created on August 03, 2024 shows a Transavia Boeing 737-800 parked on the tarmac at Paris Orly airport on June 26, 2020 and Air France planes parked during an Air France pilots strike on the tarmac of Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy on September 24, 2014. (Photo by ERIC PIERMONT and STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP)
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Air France Extends Suspension of Paris-Beirut Flights Until Aug 6

This combination of pictures created on August 03, 2024 shows a Transavia Boeing 737-800 parked on the tarmac at Paris Orly airport on June 26, 2020 and Air France planes parked during an Air France pilots strike on the tarmac of Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy on September 24, 2014. (Photo by ERIC PIERMONT and STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP)
This combination of pictures created on August 03, 2024 shows a Transavia Boeing 737-800 parked on the tarmac at Paris Orly airport on June 26, 2020 and Air France planes parked during an Air France pilots strike on the tarmac of Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy on September 24, 2014. (Photo by ERIC PIERMONT and STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP)

Air France said on Saturday it and its affiliate Transavia were further extending their suspensions of flights between Paris and Beirut until at least Aug 6, amid rising regional tensions.

Airlines are avoiding Iranian and Lebanese airspace and cancelling flights to Israel and Lebanon, as concerns grow over a possible regional conflict after the killing of senior members of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah this week.

Air France suspended flights between Paris and Beirut last Monday, two days after a strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 children and teenagers, which Israel and the United States blamed on Hezbollah.

That suspension was extended on Wednesday until at least Saturday, Aug 3, Reuters reported.

"Given the security situation (...) the airline extends its suspension of its flights between Paris and Beirut until Aug 6 included," Air France said in a statement, adding it was monitoring the situation in Lebanon in real time.

"The resuming of service will be subject of a new assessment of the situation on the ground, " said the company, part of Air-France-KLM.



Iran Says Haniyeh Was Killed by Short-range Projectile

A child holding a Palestinian national flag takes part in a protest against the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in an air strike in Tehran, in Lahore on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)
A child holding a Palestinian national flag takes part in a protest against the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in an air strike in Tehran, in Lahore on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)
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Iran Says Haniyeh Was Killed by Short-range Projectile

A child holding a Palestinian national flag takes part in a protest against the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in an air strike in Tehran, in Lahore on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)
A child holding a Palestinian national flag takes part in a protest against the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in an air strike in Tehran, in Lahore on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was slain in Tehran by a short-range projectile with a warhead of about 7 kg, and vowed severe revenge.

Wednesday's assassination has drawn fears of direct conflict between Tehran and its arch-enemy Israel in a region shaken by Israel's war in Gaza and a worsening conflict in Lebanon.

Revenge for the killing of the Hamas leader will be "severe and at an appropriate time, place, and manner," the Guards' statement added, blaming the "terrorist Zionist regime" of Israel for his death.

Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of carrying out the strike that killed Haniyeh hours after he attended the inauguration of Iran's new president.

Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility.

According to Reuters, the statement by the Guards force also accused the "criminal US government" of supporting the attack which Iranian media said was in a northern suburb of Tehran.

Haniyeh was buried on Friday in Qatar, where he was based.