Seven airlines – Delta, United Airlines, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Air India – have canceled all flights to Israel due to increasing tensions with Iran. The cancellations come after a Lufthansa flight from Munich to Tel Aviv was diverted to Larnaca, Cyprus, and then returned to Germany due to crew concerns about flying to Israel. FlyDubai has also canceled some of its scheduled flights. Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport had massive crowds on Thursday, with many attempting to catch the last flights out of the country in anticipation of further cancellations. Others are seeking to cancel their flights due to fears of being unable to return to Israel. The flight cancellations occur as Israel prepares for potential retaliation following the recent assassinations of Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)