Following the group's incursions into the country over the weekend and ongoing rocket assaults, the Israeli military hit back with airstrikes into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip ahead of a possible ground invasion, amid concerns the fighting could spiral into a regional conflict.
Artzi Korostelev says it's been all hands on deck at his Toronto-based company Peerless Travel, as customers reschedule trips to Israel into 2024 and employees work the phones 16 hours a day, while new bookings have screeched to a halt. He says the company had two groups of several dozen people in the country when fighting broke out, and two more slated to fly there last Saturday — the day the attacks began — on top of some 40 tour groups that were supposed to visit before the end of the year.
Korostelev, who grew up in Israel, says he and his staff are facing a logistical gauntlet while coping with the shock and grief given their personal connections in the country. While Israel's biggest airport remains open, many airlines including Air Canada have cancelled flights to the country this week, with the travel plans of thousands now in limbo.