Ben Gurion Airport Shut Down, Flights Diverted after Rocket Attacks
11 May, 2021 |
3 years ago
Jerusalem, 11 May, 2021 (TPS) -- Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) near Tel Aviv was shut down on late Tuesday evening, following rocket attacks on central Israel and the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Videos showed missiles fired from the Gaza Strip being intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system close to the airport.
Flights were diverted to Cyprus and Greece as it initially remained unclear how long the airport would remain closed. Outgoing flights have been postponed.
In a statement, the Israel Airports Authority said that the airport had been shut down “to allow defense of (the) nation’s skies.”
Israel has been under rocket attack since Monday afternoon, with the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist groups targeting Israel’s southern and central regions as well as Jerusalem. Three Israelis have been confirmed to have died from injuries sustained in the missile attacks.
