EU warns airlines to avoid Lebanese and Israeli airspace

The European Union on Saturday warned airlines to avoid Lebanese and Israeli airspace for coming month, amid an escalation in air strikes and rocket fire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The European Commission and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned in a statement of "an overall intensification of air strikes and degradation in the security situation."

They issued an official recommendation "not to operate within the airspaces of Lebanon and Israel at all flight levels."

Provisionally lasting until Oct. 31, the Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) "can be reviewed earlier and adapted or withdrawn," the statement added.

"EASA will continue to closely monitor the situation, with a view to assess whether there is an increase or decrease of risks for EU aircraft operators as a result of the evolution of the threat," the body said.

Israeli bombardment of the southern outskirts of Beirut on Friday hit its highest intensity since the state's last war with Hezbollah in 2006.

Hezbollah confirmed martyrdom of Nasrallah in the Israeli airstrike in Lebanon.