Netanyahu Says Israel Was Already in a ‘War Against Iran’s Evil Axis’

Israel went into a new workweek in a state of deep uncertainty on Sunday, with the potential for attacks by Iran and the militant groups it supports already causing disruptions for many.

A number of international airlines have suspended flights to and from Israel pending expected retaliation against the country by Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. That has left tens of thousands of Israelis unable to come home, according to an Israeli official who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.

Delta, United, the Lufthansa group and Aegean Airlines were among those that suspended services to Israel after the assassination of a senior Hezbollah commander, Fuad Shukr, in a strike in Beirut on Tuesday, and the killing early Wednesday of the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran. The fear is that the responses to the killings could be the start of a wider regional war.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is asking citizens traveling abroad to fill out an online survey to help the government map where they are and try to organize solutions, including alternative commercial flights. Most are believed to be stuck in Europe and the United States.

Israel’s national carrier, El Al, and its subsidiaries are trying to add more flights to ferry Israelis home, but their ability to do so is limited: At the height of the summer, with school out, the Israeli airlines were already operating at full capacity.

Many Israelis were abroad on what they assumed would be short vacations and will be eager to get back to their families, jobs and lives in Israel, despite the looming danger. Officials were recommending that they make their way to nearby hubs such as Athens and Cyprus, a relatively short flight away.