CHICAGO (WLS) — Some Chicago-area groups called for peace Friday amid the ongoing strikes between Israel and Iran.

Flights were diverted to O’Hare Airport after the Tel-Aviv airport shut down shortly after Israel launched a preemptive strike on Iran. Iran says top military leaders and nuclear scientists were killed in the attack.

Jewish groups hope the attack will lead to the fall of the Iranian regime and will eventually result in peace in the Middle East, but some Iranians are concerned the situation will escalate and innocent people will pay the price.

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Meanwhile, Federal Plaza played as the backdrop, again, to the cries and concerns from pro-Palestinian advocates on Friday.

Protesters were calling for the conflict between Iran and the U.S.-supported Israel to cease.

“We’re here, today, to oppose war and we’re also opposed to the United States government assisting Israel in this war, on Iran, and the war on the region,” said Husam Marajea with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network-Chicago. “We want this to stop.”

Earlier Friday, several international flight carriers also cancelled, delayed, or redirected flights as tensions flare between Israel and Iran.

Passengers who were able to catch some of the last flights out of Israel arrived at O’Hare on Friday. Some passengers told ABC7 they don’t know when they will be able to return back home to Israel.

“I’m coming to visit family, I hope to go back, God willingly,” said Hevieh, who was flying from Israel.

ABC7 Chief Legal Analyst Gil Soffer is among those currently stuck in Israel. He said he was in town for a wedding when he heard sirens.

“I heard deafening sirens,” Soffer said, “Immediately we saw the report on our phones… and we should expect retaliation.”

Soffer said he relocated to a friend’s home to wait things out.

“You don’t know when it could happen again,” Soffer said. “So, we’ll get an alert, which gives us a minute and a half to get into the bomb shelter if a ballistic missile has been launched from Iran.”

Those who did make it on the last flights out of Tel Aviv, say they are praying for their family.

Lonnie Nasatir is the president for the Jewish United Fund. He hopes military action will force the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow the Iranian regime that has been in power for over 40 years.

“Until there is a regime change, then we are going to have real instability in the Middle East,” Nasatir said.

But, some Iranian-Americans say while the oppressive regime should go, it should not be done thought military attacks from the outside.

“I feel like the best way to maybe have them resolve things like this is through diplomacy or through the empowerment of the Iranian people themselves to rise up and make a change things,” Chicago-area resident Alex Nejad said.

Nejad grew up in Iran. Most of his family remains there. He fears military action will result in many innocent casualties.

Iran is perceived as a threat by several countries. Foreign policy experts say the scale of Israel’s attack is likely to derail any diplomacy between Iran and the United States.

“The current situation is at a much higher level of intensity to where it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be easy to achieve, if it could even be achieved at all,” University of Chicago Professor Paul Poast said.

Meantime, many Americans remain in Israel waiting and watching it all play out. The Jewish United Fund is so confident the situation will not escalate that student programs in Israel this summer will go on as planned.

The U.S. embassy is warning all federal employees and family members in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza to shelter in place.

Federal workers are also being asked to know the closest safe space in the event there is rocket fire.