Lightning strikes as smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. Picture: AFP
Israel announced on Tuesday special inbound sea shuttles from Cyprus to deal with civil flight cancellations due to the security situation, according to a statement by the country's Transport Ministry.
The shuttles, to be operated by private cruise companies, will depart from the southern Cypriot city of Larnaca and arrive in the city of Haifa in northern Israel, according to the statement.
It noted that passengers whose flights to Israel have been cancelled will be able to take an alternative flight to Cyprus and then reach Israel by sea.
Some of the foreign airlines' flights to Israel were cancelled due to the fighting that broke out on Saturday between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
In case fighting escalates and all foreign airlines' flights to Israel are cancelled, the ministry said it would activate an emergency plan for inbound international flights.
According to the emergency plan, Israeli airlines are set to add flights to Israel at four airports in New York, Frankfurt, Athens, and Dubai, which were chosen to serve as departure hubs for their connectivity with many other airports worldwide.
In the meantime, Reuters reported Israeli airlines El Al, Israir and Arkia have added more flights to bring home reservists, according to their websites and Israel's airports authority, though the prospect of more conflict also stoked sector worries about staff shortages.
According to Reuters, Israel said on Monday it had called up an unprecedented 300,000 reservists.