Lufthansa cancels flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut over security concerns

BERLIN

German airline Lufthansa has canceled all flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut over security concerns amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel, a media report said on Thursday.

The airline will cancel all flights to Tel Aviv through Aug. 8 "due to current developments." Both passenger and freight traffic are affected equally, the daily Bild reported.

In addition, flights to the Lebanese capital Beirut will be suspended until Aug. 12, it added.

In a related development, a Lufthansa Airlines flight from Munich to Tel Aviv landed in Larnaca, in the Greek Cypriot Administration, on Thursday morning before returning to Germany after the crew refused to fly to Israel amid spiraling tensions with Iran.

The German airline also announced on Wednesday that it had canceled two nighttime flights to Israel from Frankfurt and Munich on Monday due to mounting tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The Middle East's security situation has deteriorated following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the Israeli army's claim of killing a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut.