The Federal Aviation Association suspended all U.S. flights heading to Israel for 24 hours, a day after a rocket strike came within a mile of Ben Gurion International Airport.
The federal agency issued a Notice to Airmen, which requires a halt to any U.S. carrier flying to or from the international airport for a period up to 24 hours. The NOTAM does not apply to foreign carriers.
The notice was issued due to the "potentially hazardous situation created by the armed conflict in Israel and Gaza." One exception to the NOTAM is in case of an emergency situation requiring the pilot to make an "immediate decision and action for the safety of the flight."
The FAA announcement comes just days after a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet was shot down over a war zone, killing all 295 people aboard.
In addition to the increase sensitivity following the attack on the airplane, the situation between Israel and Gaza continues to worsen, with hundreds now dead as a result of the conflict and Israel responding to continued rocket strikes by starting a ground invasion in Gaza to deal with Hamas.
While the United States has halted flights, other nations have not done so yet, with British Airways noting that the carrier "continues to operate as normal," The New York Times reports.
Delta and US Airways have already indicated they have canceled any flights to Israel for the time being, with the former carrier going so far as to divert a flight heading to Ben Gurion to Charles de Gaulle Airport.