Airlines halt flights in and out of Israel after a massive attack by Hamas ignites heavy fighting

American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines suspended service as the U.S. State Department issued travel advisories for the region citing potential for terrorism and civil unrest. Delta said its Tel Aviv flights have been canceled into this week. (Paul Sancya, File/AP Photo)

Major airlines have suspended flights in and out of Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas.

Israel hit more than 1,000 targets in Gaza, and Palestinian militants continued firing barrages of rockets, setting off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. A video posted online appeared to show a plume of smoke near a terminal at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.

Scores of arriving and departing flights at Ben Gurion were canceled or delayed, according to the airport’s online flight board, which also showed a steady trickle of flights. Most were operated by Israel’s national airline El Al along with others by regional carriers like Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines and Greece’s Blue Bird Airways.