Israel holidays cancelled

More and more Israel-bound tourists are putting their holiday plans on hold, Flanders News reports. Tour operator Thomas Cook has cancelled all its package holidays to the country until the end of November as hostilities between Israel and Hamas activists in the Gaza Strip intensify. “We decided to cancel all trips to Israel until November 30,” explains Baptiste Van Outryve, spokesman for Thomas Cook Belgium. “Customers who have their holidays cancelled will be reimbursed or offered another destination. A third possibility is for them to postpone their holidays until a later date.” Van Outryve adds that the decision will affect no more than a dozen holidaymakers. Thomas Cook offers city trips to Tel Aviv (pictured) and Jerusalem but has no holidaymakers there at present. Another tour operator, Jetair, is monitoring the situation in Israel but has not cancelled package holidays. The company has about 20 travellers there, eight of whom should return to Belgium tonight. Jetairfly is maintaining its flight schedule to Israel: “We will not change anything as long as we can guarantee safe travel.”