JERUSALEM 

Several international airlines on Friday extended the suspension of their flights to and from Tel Aviv, as Israel raised its security alert amid escalating tensions with Iran, the Palestinian group Hamas, and Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

According to Israel's Channel 12, the Italian airline ITA has extended the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv until August 13.

The Spanish airline Vueling also notified passengers of the cancellation of its flights to Israel until the end of October.

Additionally, the Indian airline Air India began sending notifications to its customers that it would extend its suspension of flights to Israel until the end of October as well.

As of Wednesday, the total number of foreign airlines that have suspended flights to and from Israel reached 20, according to the broadcaster.

Last week, Israel announced that it was raising its security alert level in response to potential retaliatory attacks from Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

The decision came after Israeli forces assassinated two important commanders, acknowledging the killing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut but neither denying nor accepting the killing of Hamas’ political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran's capital, Tehran.

The escalation comes against the backdrop of an Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip which has killed nearly 39,700 people since last October following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.  

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi