Leading European air transport group Lufthansa has again extended the suspension of its services to and from Tel Aviv until 22 June while Israel continues its war in Gaza.

‘The Lufthansa Group is suspending its flights to and from Tel Aviv until Sunday, 22 June, inclusive,’ the German group said in a brief statement quoted by AFP.

Services to Tel Aviv had previously been suspended until 15 June.

The humanitarian situation remains catastrophic in Gaza, where Israel has imposed a total blockade for more than two months, partially eased at the end of May.

Today, Gaza's civil defence announced that at least 15 people had been killed by Israeli fire in the southern part of the Palestinian territory, with the army saying it had opened fire on ‘suspects’.

The Lufthansa Group, which also includes Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and now Italy's ITA Airlines, has changed its flight schedule several times since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, as have other airlines. | BGNES