An Israeli airstrike that hit the Aleppo International Airport in Syria has halted aid flights into the city that are needed for earthquake relief, a Syrian official told AFP.
The strike hit the airport early in the morning on Tuesday, about one month after an earthquake devastated Aleppo, a city that has already been struggling to rebuild after years of war due to US sanctions that are specifically designed to prevent Syria’s reconstruction.
“It is no longer possible to receive aid flights until the damage has been repaired,” said Suleiman Khalil, a Syrian Transport Ministry official. He said more than 80 aid flights had landed at the Aleppo airport since the earthquake hit.
In a statement, the Syrian Transport Ministry said the aid flights would be rerouted to airports in Damascus and Latakia. The Syrian Foreign Ministry called the strike a “double crime” because it hit a civilian airport and a key channel for the arrival of earthquake aid.