NOT COINCIDENCE: In a deadly Jewish festival(Lag B'Omer) week which left at least 45 people dead/150 people injured, more than 1,000 rockets were fired from Gaza, targeting major cities and the main airport of Ben Gurion - what a way to express condolences/grieving with families who lost family members

Israel’s Air Traffic Impacted By Rocket Attacks

• byJoanna Bailey
• May 12, 2021
• 21 shares
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• 3 minute read

Overnight, Israel came under a missile attack. More than 1,000 rockets were fired from Gaza, targeting major cities and the main airport of Ben Gurion. The airport closed for around an hour, and although flights have now resumed, some airlines are already canceling future services to the country.

The worst violence in seven years

Israel is today waking up to scenes of destruction after a night of violence across the country. Militants in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv, the city of Ashkelon and at Israel’s main commercial airport, Ben Gurion (TLV).

With incoming missiles closing in on the airport, several aircraft were forced to divert to other airports or to enter a holding pattern until a safe landing could be confirmed. Over 100 rockets were fired from Gaza, and while most were intercepted by Israel’s sophisticated defense system known as the ‘Iron Dome’, some did get through.

RAW FOOTAGE: This is the moment the Iron Dome intercepted a barrage of rockets over Tel Aviv and central Israel. pic.twitter.com/8jl8OTgWCl

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 11, 2021

Ethiopian Airlines flight ET404 was forced to hold over the sea for more than an hour until it could be cleared to land. Reportedly, the airport was inspecting the runway for damage following a missile strike.

A Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt was more than two and a half hours into its three and a half hour journey when it diverted. Rather than landing anywhere else, the A321 headed back to Germany, landing in Frankfurt over five and a half hours after taking off.

Other flights, such as this Lufthansa MD-11 cargo service, were diverted elsewhere. This one ended up in Cairo, although other flights are reported to have been landing in Greece and Cyprus.