Tel Aviv flights working normally despite Hamas threat

All flights were operating normally at Israel's Ben Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv early Thursday despite a warning issued by Hamas's armed wing in Gaza, officials said.

Ofer Lefler, spokesman for the Israel Airports Authority (IAA), told AFP flights had been disrupted for a brief 10 minute pause but aside from that, everything was operating normally.

"There has been no change to take offs or landings. Flights were interrupted for 10 minutes for security reasons but I cannot give any details on that," he said.

In a televised address late on Wednesday, a spokesman for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades had warned foreign airlines against flying into Tel Aviv from 6 am (0300 GMT) in a bid to disrupt air traffic.

Last month, major US and European airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv over security concerns for two days after a rocket landed very close to one of the runways at Ben Gurion.

But there was no rocket fire directed at the airport on Thursday morning, an army spokeswoman said.

The suspension of international flights in July was hailed by Hamas as a "great victory."

On Wednesday, the Qassam Brigades claimed it had fired a rocket at one of Israel's offshore gas platforms, although the army said it was not aware of anything being hit.