The Netherlands said that its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Arbil, Iraq, would remain closed on Sunday “in connection with the rising tensions between Iran and Israel”.
France earlier warned its nationals against travelling to the region, while the US embassy in Israel said it was restricting the movements of its diplomats over security fears.
German airline Lufthansa said its planes would no longer use Iranian airspace, while its subsidiary Austrian Airlines made a similar move. Australian airline Qantas said its long haul Perth-London flights would also avoid Iranian airspace.
Gaza truce talks which started on Sunday in Cairo have brought no breakthrough on a plan presented by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators, which Hamas has said it was studying.
Calls for more aid access
Washington has also ramped up pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to increase aid flows to Gaza where the United Nations warns of imminent famine.
Israel’s military said an undisclosed number of aid trucks had been allowed to enter Gaza Thursday through a newly opened border crossing.
Despite repeated AFP requests for comment, Israeli authorities did not disclose the exact location of the new crossing.
The UN Security Council has said that “more should be done to bring the required relief given the scale of needs in Gaza.”
During the October attack, Hamas militants seized about 250 hostages, 129 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead.
Netanyahu is under huge pressure from relatives of the hostages to get their loved ones home.
Source: CNA
