Israel orders airline hijack alert

JERUSALEM, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Israel has ordered all planes flying into the nation to tighten security measures to minimize the possibility of a terrorist attack.

The new rules come amid fears of Hezbollah retaliation for the death of terror mastermind Imad Mugniyah, the movement's military leader, in Damascus, Syria

Danny Shenar, head of security at Israel's transportation ministry, has ordered all foreign and domestic airlines landing in Israel to require passengers to remain seated 30 minutes before landing, when flights approach a distance of 180 miles from the country's shores, Ynetnews reported.

Ordinarily, passengers are advised to return to their seats at a distance of some 90 miles from Israel, about 15 minutes before landing.

Pilots have been instructed to seal the cockpit 30 minutes before landing to prevent possible terrorists from taking over the plane inside Israeli airspace.