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   The Israeli airline El Al will fly planes from New York and Bangkok on   
   Saturday, on the Jewish day of rest, the Sabbath, to pick up reservists. El Al   
   has not flown on the Sabbath since 1982 based on Jewish religious regulations.   
   But due to the war with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and occupied   
   territories, religious leaders have made an exception and authorized the   
   additional flights.   
       
   Israel has called up more than 360,000 reservists after fighters from the   
   Hamas movement broke out of the fenced-off Gaza Strip on Saturday and caused   
   massacres in the area. They have also fired thousands of rockets into Israel.   
   Israel blocks and bombs the densely populated Gaza Strip and prepares for a   
   land attack.   
       
   El Al is one of the few airlines that still flies to and from Israel. Almost   
   all European airlines have suspended flight operations as a precaution. In the   
   past 24 hours, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways also announced   
   their termination. Due to the lack of scheduled flights, the Netherlands is   
   now repatriating citizens with NATO military Airbus A330 MRTTs. The planes of   
   El Al and other Israeli companies have an anti-missile system on board.   
      
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