British Airways cancels flight to Tel Aviv amid escalating violence

British Airways cancelled its flight to and from Tel Aviv on Thursday, the latest international carrier to avoid flying to Israel amid the escalating violence there.

"The safety and security of our colleagues and customers is always our top priority, and we continue to monitor the situation closely," British Airways said.

United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines on Wednesday all cancelled flights between the United States and Tel Aviv.

British airline EasyJet said that it was not yet cancelling its flights to Tel Aviv.

Its next flight there is from Berlin and not scheduled until 16 May, with a service from London Luton to Tel Aviv scheduled for 18 May.

"We will of course continue to monitor the situation," an EasyJet spokeswoman told Reuters.

Earlier, Israel diverted an incoming flight from Ben Gurion Airport to a southern airport designed to serve as a wartime alternative to its main international gateway outside Tel Aviv.