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15-04-2024
JERUSALEM: Israel says it and its allies have intercepted the vast majority of more than 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran.
It says there were a small number of hits on its territory, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, while one person has been injured.
Iran’s unprecedented, retaliatory attack marks the first time it has targeted Israel directly from its own soil.
Sirens sounded across Israel and loud explosions were heard over Jerusalem, with air defence systems shooting down objects over the city.
President Biden tells Israel that American support for its ally is “ironclad”, adding that the US helped “take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles.”
UK Defence Minister Grant Shapps condemns the “senseless attack” and says additional RAF jets have been deployed to the region.
Iran earlier warned that Israel would be “punished” for a strike on its consulate in Syria on 1 April, which Israel has not officially acknowledged.
The first sign an attack was imminent came during the evening when the Israeli army announced its forces were on full alert and dozens of warplanes were in the air.
Authorities said mass gatherings and educational activities were to be restricted. And then an army spokesman confirmed the rumors; Iranian drones had been launched and were bound for Israel.
Across the rooftops of Jerusalem, we heard sirens. Explosions lit up the night as Iron Dome air defence missiles soared into the sky. The IDF reported similar alerts across the country.
It soon became clear armed forces of allies and partners were helping to intercept many of the drones and missiles before they reached Israel.
Inevitably, some got through, causing what Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for Israel’s army, said was “minor damage” to a military base. There were few reports of casualties, apart from one girl who was critically injured.
Israel’s war cabinet met overnight, with one official saying there would be a “significant response”.
Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel, 99% of which were shot down, the Israeli military has said.
In a televised briefing, Israel Defence Force’s spokesman Daniel Hagari also said that some of the overnight launches were from Iraq and Yemen.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has condemned the attack, calling on Iran to “immediately halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces”.
He added that the US did not “seek conflict” with Iran, but added that it would “not hesitate to act to protect our forces and support the defense of Israel”, and that US forces would “remain postured to protect US troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israel’s defense, and enhance regional stability”.
The UN Security Council will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting over Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel, the body’s president has said.
The meeting was requested by Israel, who wrote in a letter to the council’s president, Vanessa Frazier, that the attacks “pose a grave threat to international peace and security”.
The letter accuses Iran of violating its international obligations and of being “the architect of instability for years” through its support for Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
“The gravity and volume of the attacks are unprecedented,” the letter adds “and are a flagrant violation of Israel’s sovereignty, of international law, and of Security Council resolutions.” (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
