U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (file photo)
Secretary of State John Kerry told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that a US ban on flights to Israel was solely due to safety concerns.
Kerry, in Cairo to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, told Netanyahu by telephone that US authorities would review the order within a day, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
"The only consideration in issuing the notice was the safety and security of our citizens," Psaki said in the Egyptian capital.
The US Federal Aviation Administration "continues to monitor and evaluate the situation, and will issue updated guidelines no later than 24 hours from the time the (notice) went into force," she said.
The US agency barred US carriers from flying to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport for 24 hours after a rocket from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip landed near the aviation hub.
Earlier in Washington, State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf denied that the move was a pressure tactic aimed at pressuring Israel to accept a ceasefire in the two-week conflict.