Europe's second largest airline cancels all flights to Israel amid conflict fears

EveningStandard: Europe’s second largest airline carrier has cancelled all of its passenger and cargo flights to and from Tel Aviv with immediate effect, it confirmed on Thursday.

A spokesman for the Germany-based Lufthansa Group said concerns about the situation in Israel and the Middle East had prompted the decision.

It will be reviewed on August 8. "The reason for this is the current development in the region," the spokesperson added.

The airline group has also extended a halt on its flights to and from the Lebanese capital Beirut until August 12.

A number of airlines have cancelled or suspended flights as Lebanon braces for retaliation from Israel since a strike on Saturday in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 children and teenagers. Hezbollah has denied the attack.

Lufthansa Group follows US carriers United and Delta Air Lines in cancelling flights to Israel amid increasing conflict fears.

It comes as thousands of people turned out for the funeral procession for Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran on Thursday after he was killed in a strike in Tehran.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led prayers for Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital before the terror group leader was buried in Qatar.

Haniyeh was assassinated in the city early on Wednesday morning.

The attack drew threats of revenge against Israel and fuelled further concern that the conflict in Gaza was turning into a wider Middle East war.

US media reported Iranian officials stating that the supreme leader had ordered a direct attack against Israel, which it claims was responsible for the killing on Iranian soil.

Israel has not directly commented on the assassination. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country had delivered “crushing blows” to its enemies in recent days.

This included the death of a senior Hezbollah commander, Fuad Shukr, in Lebanon hours before the Tehran strike.