U.S. Lifts Ban On Flights To Israel As Ceasefire Negotiations Continue

A ban U.S. aviation officials placed on all flights to conflict-ridden Israel has been lifted, Reuters reported.

The Federal Aviation Administration implemented the ban on Tuesday after a rocket launched from Gaza nearly struck Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Israel's anti-missile launcher, the Iron Dome, intercepted the rocket. But the scare was enough to take precautions and halt all flights, especially in the wake of the Malaysia Airlines jetliner that was shot down over eastern Ukraine last week.

Officials lifted the ban late Wednesday after investigating the local security situation, according to the news agency.

The European Air Safety Agency, which installed a similar ban after the U.S. did, announced it too will resume fights to and from the airport beginning Friday.

"The Europeans did not really deliberate over this, but acted more as a follow-up to the American decision," Gadi Regev, Israel's Civil Aviation Authority chief of staff, told Reuters.

The ban lift comes as Egypt continues to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas militants; however their efforts have been futile. Hamas stated it will only agree to a ceasefire if the Jewish nation ends its blockade restrictions on Gaza.

"We will not accept any proposal that does not lift the blockade," Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said according to Reuters. "We do not desire war and we do not want it to continue, but we will not be broken by it."

As of Thursday, 729 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel's airstrike offensive in Gaza on July 8. At least 32 Israeli soldiers have also been killed. The offensive has since escalated to a groun invasion, with Israel Defense Forces battling rebels who use hidden tunnels to cross the border into Israel.

Israel security officials said it will take at least another two weeks to successfully destroy the tunnels. The U.S. also said it is unlikely any truce will be reached this weekend.

Real Time Analytics