People wait in departing section at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's only international airport, after many flights from abroad are cancelled due to the attacks launched by Palestinian factions in Tel Aviv.(Photo:VCG)

 
Chinese travel agencies have canceled trips to Israel amid the escalated conflict there, which flared up over the weekend. Chinese airlines have adjusted flight arrangements in line with security conditions on the ground.
 
"We quickly screened all orders after the conflict broke out, and as of now, our company has no tourists stranded in Israel," Tongcheng Travel told the Global Times on Monday morning. 

For travel groups planning to travel to Israel in October and November, the company communicated with those clients and processed full refunds. In addition, business work related to tourism in Israel has been temporarily suspended, the agency noted. 

GZL International Travel Service told the Global Times that it has decided to cancel all travel groups to Israel in October. It sent two travel groups to the country in September, but both have since returned to China.  

Chinese travel agency Spring Tour confirmed to the Global Times that the company has canceled a 28-member tour to Israel that was scheduled to depart on Monday, given the escalated tensions there, and tours departing after that point will be subject to notifications from relevant departments and the actual situation on the ground.

The move came after the escalated conflict there, as Israel's cabinet declared a "state of war" on Sunday against Hamas, in which at least 700 in Israel died while retaliatory Israeli airstrikes killed at least 413 in Gaza, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.

On August 10 , the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the third list of countries, including Israel, to resume outbound group tours.
 
China's Hainan Airlines, the only carrier in China with flights to Israel, told the Global Times that it canceled flights between Shanghai and Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday due to the ongoing high tensions there, and will adjust flight arrangements in line with security conditions on the ground. 

The airline has three direct flights between China and the country, which depart from Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, operating twice a week on each route.

Data shared by the information provider VariFlight showed that the flight from Shenzhen to Tel Aviv on Tuesday was canceled.

The airline later said on its official Weibo on Monday afternoon that its follow-up flight plans for Israel routes will continue to be implemented. There has been no adjustment for the time being in an effort to maximize and ensure the normal travel of passengers.

It will pay close attention to changes in the overseas security situation and dynamically adjust relevant flight plans as soon as possible, the airline said. 

The Foreign Ministry activated the emergency consular protection mechanism immediately after the conflict broke out to coordinate and engage in work on protecting Chinese nationals and institutions in Palestine and Israel, said Mao Ning, ministry spokesperson, on Monday. The spokesperson reminded Chinese nationals not to travel to Palestine or Israel. 

We would like to once again call on relevant parties to immediately stop the fighting, protect civilians and avoid further deterioration of the situation. Mao said.