Day 196 — Friday, April 19

Israel targeted the defense system of the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran during its strikes Friday morning, ABC quoted a senior American official as saying.

“The Israelis were targeting an air defense radar site near Isfahan that’s part of the protection of the Natanz nuclear facility,” ABC said, in the name of the official. “The first assessment is that the strike took out the site, but assessment hasn’t been completed, the official said.”

The official noted, however, that the strike was meant to send a signal to Iran about Israeli capabilities, but not to escalate the situation.

The attack, which Israel has not claimed credit for, was launched in response to the aerial barrage of ballistic missiles and attack drones that Iran sent to Israel last Saturday night following an airstrike in Damascus, widely attributed to Israel, that killed a senior officer in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The officer was connected to Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy that has been attacking Israel almost daily since Hamas’s attack on October 7.

In the hours since the strikes in Iran Friday morning, Iran has downplayed their effect and significance, declining to directly point the finger at Israel and announcing that no damage was done to any nuclear sites. The International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) also reported that no damage was done to nuclear sites, and there were no reported casualties.

Jerusalem Post

Day 196 — Friday, April 19

Israel has conducted strikes in Iran in retaliation for Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile assault earlier this week, defying US President Joe Biden’s warning that more attacks could plunge the Middle East further into conflict. 

The city of Isfahan in central Iran was struck at 5 am local time, with Israeli projectiles reported to have targeted an Air Force base near Isfahan, which long has been home to Iran’s fleet of American-made F-14 Tomcats – purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

A base near the city hosts one of Iran’s nuclear facilities, although US military sources reportedly said the target was not believed to be nuclear.

Iran sought to downplay any significant damage to its military facilities and outright denied any nuclear plants were destroyed, claiming that ‘so far, no large-scale strikes or explosions by any air threat have been reported.’ 

Iranian state TV this morning released footage of an undisturbed Isfahan city scape to cast doubt on reports the city had been hit.

Today’s early morning strike comes after Iran launched a barrage of hundreds of drones and rockets at Israel on Saturday, which was largely thwarted by Israel and its international allies. Isfahan was one of several launch sites used in the attack. 

Earlier this week, Biden warned Israel not to retaliate to Saturday’s foiled strikes and urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ‘take the win‘.

Iranian officials meanwhile told Reuters that Tehran has no plan for immediate retaliation against Israel, contradicting statements made by several senior politicians earlier this week. 

No official comment has been released by Israel or the US, but the explosions in Iran will heighten fears of a stronger tit-for-tat retaliation.

Iranian National Security Committee official Abolfazl Amoue declared earlier this week that Tehran is ‘prepared to use a weapon that we have never used’ if Israel responds further. 

And Iran’s foreign minister told CNN yesterday that Tehran’s response to an Israeli strike would be immediate. 

‘If the Israeli regime commits the great error once again our response will be decisive, definitive and regretful for them,’ Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said. 

Footage circulating social media appears to show explosions overhead in Iran, though MailOnline has not been able to confirm the footage. 

Israeli officials warned the Biden administration of its intent to strike before launching in previous days, but an official told CNN that the US did not ‘green light’ any Israeli response. 

Hours before, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Thursday afternoon, but a senior source declined to confirm to the New York Times whether Gallant warned about the strikes following the meeting.  

Around four hours after reports of strikes, Iran lifted flight suspensions and opened its airports, with runways in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz closed amid the Israeli attack. 

Further explosions reportedly hit military targets in Iraq and Syria around the same time. Syria’s state-run SANA news agency quoted a military statement as saying Israel carried out a missile strike targeting an air defence unit in its south, causing material damage.  

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the strike hit a military radar for government forces. It was not clear if there were casualties, the Observatory said.

The Observatory’s chief Rami Abdurrahman said six Israeli fighter jets entered Syria’s airspace and were flying east when they were spotted by the radar.

Although the US military played a central role in halting Iran’s strikes on Saturday, President Biden said he made it ‘very clear’ to Netanyahu that he had to act ‘carefully and strategically.’

Biden urged Netanyahu to ‘take the win’ of the derailed attack, and cautioned that the US would not participate in any Israeli counter-offensive. 

The Israeli leader brushed off Biden’s warnings, insisting Israel would ‘make its own decisions’ in how to react to Iran’s attack. 

Meanwhile, the United States embassy in Israel told its employees and their families to restrict their movements this morning.

‘Out of an abundance of caution following reports that Israel conducted a retaliatory strike inside Iran, US government employees and their family members are restricted from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv’ area as well as the Jerusalem and Beersheva areas ‘until further notice,’ a security advisory issued by the mission on its website said.

Due to a ‘complex’ security environment that ‘can change quickly,’ the embassy ‘may further restrict or prohibit’ the concerned people from travelling to parts of Israel, Jerusalem’s Old City, and the occupied West Bank, the advisory read.

US officials said there was an expectation that if Israel defied warnings, they would not target nuclear or civilian sites. 

In the UK, a Cabinet minister declined to say whether the UK would support Israel’s reported action in Iran.

Daily Mail

Day 195 — Thursday, April 18

Israel’s UN envoy Gilad Erdan slams the fact that the United Nations Security Council is even considering granting full membership to the Palestinian Authority as “immoral.”

“Membership in the United Nations is open to all peace-loving states. Peace-loving — what a joke,” Erdan says ahead of the vote set to take place at 5:00 p.m. (2100 GMT), according to Malta, which holds the council’s rotating presidency.

Erdan charges that granting full member status to the PA would “reward the supporters and perpetrators” of Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.

“The child murderers and rapists of Hamas,” he says, “are watching this meeting and they are smiling.”

“How many times has this council met to discuss ways to advance the release of our hostages held in Gaza? How many times? Not even once,” Erdan asks during the Security Council session.

“How many condemnations has this council issued against Hamas for their heinous October 7 massacre? Zero.”

“How detached from reality can this council be to dedicate its time and resources to support a resolution so disconnected to the reality on the ground. To a resolution that will have zero positive impact for any party. That will cause only destruction for years to come and harm any chance for future dialogue,” he says.

US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel confirms that Washington will veto the UN Security Council resolution being brought to a vote later today.

Patel says during a press briefing that there wasn’t unanimity among committee members as to whether the Palestinians had met the criteria necessary to be defined as a state.

Moreover, the State Department spokesperson says the Palestinian Authority needs to undergo significant reforms before it can assume statehood responsibilities.

Times Of Israel

Day 195 — Thursday, April 18

Soon after the failed drone and missile assault by Iran against Israel early on Sunday morning, images of the blackened remains of intercepted rockets scattered across Israel began circulating on social media.

An especially poignant image showed the hull of an enormous rocket floating on the salty waters of Israel’s Dead Sea. The area immediately to the west of the sea, around the towns of Arad and Dimona, was one of the attack’s main targets.

“When I first saw images on Sunday circulating on social media I thought they were fake. There is nothing fake about this, or the threat it posed,” IDF Lt.-Col. Peter Lerner, who serves as an IDF spokesman in the reserves, wrote on 𝕏.

This is 70% of one of the 120 !!! ballistic missiles #Iran launched at #Israel on Saturday. It was intercepted and this part fell near the Dead Sea. When I first saw images on Sunday circulating on social media I thought they were fake. There is nothing fake about this, or the… pic.twitter.com/BlbI1GOrP4

— Lt. Col. (R) Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) April 16, 2024

The IDF presented some remains discovered in Israel of the roughly 120 ballistic missiles fired by Iran, most of which were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in cooperation with several allied nations.

IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari visited the Joulis military base, near the town of Kiryat Malachi, where the missile remains were presented.

“We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression,” Hagari told reporters. “Iran will not get [off] scot-free with this aggression.”

Lerner filmed himself next to one of the rockets and wrote on 𝕏: “This is 70% of one of the 120 ballistic missiles Iran launched at Israel on Saturday. It was intercepted and this part fell near the Dead Sea.”

More than 110 ballistic missiles were launched toward Israel over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/qSWrBg73qR

— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) April 16, 2024

According to the IDF, the Iranian Emad missile originally had a warhead of around 450 kg (nearly 900 pounds). The remains – roughly 11 meters (36 ft) in length – were only portions of the fuel tank.

“Over 880 pounds of explosives in just 1 ballistic missile. Around 120 were fired by Iran at Israel. The world must recognize Iran’s attack could’ve ended very differently. It’s thanks to our advanced aerial defense systems and the help of our international partners that the attack was successfully thwarted,” the IDF wrote on its official 𝕏 account.

The Israeli military said it would study the remains to deepen its understanding of Iranian weapons systems.

“Standing next to it, suddenly the claims that Iran’s attack was in any way a token effort or symbolic seem absurd,” noted Dominic Waghorn, a journalist at Sky News who attended the presentation.

“If any one of those ballistic missiles had reached an Israeli population center it would have been devastating.”

All Israel News

Day 195 — Thursday, April 18

Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it launched missiles and drones on an Israeli military facility in Arab al-Aramshe on Wednesday, in response to the Israeli killing of Hezbollah members and commanders in Lebanon. This escalation comes as tensions between Israel and Iran are reaching new heights after a series of strikes and counterstrikes.

Hezbollah says it targeted a military facility in the border town of Arab al-Aramshe on Wednesday to avenge the killing of a number of its fighters, including a commander, in Israeli strikes the day before. Israeli media said the rockets struck a community center.

The Israeli rescue service Magen David Adom said 18 people were wounded, four of them seriously. It didn’t identify them or say whether they were soldiers or civilians. The Israeli military said it identified a number of launches in the area and struck the sources of the rocket fire. It said it also targeted a compound in southern Lebanon.

Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and allied with the Palestinian Hamas terrorist group, have traded fire on a near-daily basis since the start of the war in Gaza.

Hezbollah had said earlier Wednesday that it fired guided missiles at an air traffic base in northern Israel, striking and damaging equipment.

Israeli Hayom

Day 194 — Wednesday, April 17

As the nations of the world actively seek to temper Israel’s response to Sunday’s large-scale drone and missile attack by Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear that the Jewish State will make their “own decisions” in defense of their country.

Shortly following meetings with British and German Foreign Ministers, the Israeli leader on Wednesday stressed that foreign powers would not make the decision surrounding Israel’s next steps in dealing with the Iranian regime.

“I thank our friends for their support in defending Israel, and I say support in words and deeds,” Netanyahu stated. “They [world leaders] have also all types of suggestions and advice. I appreciate it, but I want to make clear that we will make our own decisions, and the State of Israel will do all that is needed to defend itself.”

Early Sunday morning Israel-time, the Iranian regime commenced an attack on Israel, which included over three hundred suicide drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles fired from Iran soil. 99% of the airborne projectiles were intercepted prior to reaching the Jewish State, with the US, UK, France, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia also taking part in shooting down the weapons.

At an annual army parade speech on Wednesday, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi warned that the “slightest action” by Israel in retaliation will be “met with a severe, extensive and painful response.”

Iran asserted that their attack was conducted in retaliation for an alleged Israeli airstrike on their consulate in Syria in which twelve individuals were killed, including an IRGC general reportedly involved in the “planning and execution” of Hamas’ brutal massacre of Israelis on October 7th.

Day 194 — Wednesday, April 17

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan announced on Tuesday that the US will impose new sanctions on Iran following its missile and drone attack on Israel.

“Following Iran’s unprecedented air attack against Israel, President Biden is coordinating with allies and partners, including the G7, and with bipartisan leaders in Congress, on a comprehensive response,” Sullivan said in a statement.

“In the coming days, the United States will impose new sanctions targeting Iran, including its missile and drone program as well as new sanctions against entities supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s Defense Ministry. We anticipate that our allies and partners will soon be following with their own sanctions,” he added.

“In addition,” Sullivan said, “we continue to work through the Department of Defense and US Central Command to further strengthen and expand the successful integration of air and missile defense and early warning systems across the Middle East to further erode the effectiveness of Iran’s missile and UAV capabilities.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 194 — Wednesday, April 17

Attack drones launched by Hezbollah from Southern Lebanon lightly wounded three people near Moshav Beit Hillel in the Eastern Galilee on Tuesday afternoon.

“Two explosive drones crossed from Lebanese territory towards Israeli territory and exploded in the area of ​​Beit Hillel. The incident is under investigation,” the Israel Defense Forces confirmed in an X post.

According to the Maariv daily, no alarms were triggered during the incident. Beit Hillel, located three miles from Kiryat Shmona, has been largely evacuated since late October due to the cross-border attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists.

According to the Maariv daily, no alarms were triggered during the incident. Beit Hillel, located three miles from Kiryat Shmona, has been largely evacuated since late October due to the cross-border attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists.

Shortly after the attack, an Israeli airstrike in Ain Baal, near Tyre in Southern Lebanon, killed a senior Hezbollah terrorist responsible for launching rockets and missiles at the Jewish state, the IDF said.

Ismail Baz, who commanded Hezbollah’s coastal sector, “organized and planned various terrorist plots” in recent months, according to the army.

The military added, “Ismail served in several positions as a senior and veteran official in the military wing of Hezbollah. His current rank is equivalent to the rank of brigadier general.”

Tehran’s terror proxy in Lebanon has been engaged in near-daily attacks on Israel’s evacuated border region since joining the war in support of Hamas a day after the Oct. 7 invasion of the northwestern Negev.

JNS

Day 193 — Tuesday, April 16

Numerous foreign policy experts are urging Israel to deliver a “disproportionate” military response to Iran’s attacks over the weekend and are warning that time is winding down to deal with the Islamic Republic before it becomes a nuclear state.

Part of what is driving the concern from foreign policy and military experts is that Iran has strengthened its relationship with Russia and may soon acquire more advanced military hardware from the Russians that will make it much harder for the U.S., Israel, and Arab allies in the region to counter Iranian threats.

The Washington Post reported on Monday night that top Iranian officials recently attended a VIP tour of Russia’s most advanced military systems and that they are reportedly seeking to acquire Russia’s S-400 missile system, which some military experts claim can shoot down stealth fighter jets.

If Iran were to acquire the S-400, and if it really can shoot down stealth planes, then options could be limited for the U.S. and Israel to deal with Iran’s nuclear program if a situation presented itself where it needed to be destroyed. Iran has rapidly increased their production of enriched uranium — in violation of international law — to the point where they now possess enough nuclear material to build a nuclear weapon with a breakout time of one week.

Compounding the issue is Iran’s continued work on building a secret underground nuclear facility located south of the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant. The facility potentially could be deep enough that conventional weapons in the U.S. arsenal may not be able to reach it.

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a non-partisan institution focusing on national security and foreign policy; Brigadier General (Res.) Professor Jacob Nagel, senior fellow at FDD and a former top Israeli official, said on Monday that a “disproportionate” response would be the only thing that Iran understands.

“If Iran walks away from this moment without paying a severe price, Tehran may be emboldened to deploy its weapons again,” they wrote. “And the next time, these drones and missiles may be armed with nuclear or chemical payloads.”

“Israel must now adopt a doctrine of ‘deterrence by punishment’ where it inflicts disproportionate costs on its enemies and focus its response on a few priority targets,” they continued. “The Israeli military could destroy the weapons deployed against them, including unnamed aerial vehicle development and production plants, as well as cruise missile and drone storage facilities inside Iran. Israel could also hit Iranian ports, oil and gas refineries, pipelines, and other infrastructure that finance the regime.”

Dubowitz and Nagel said that the most important target for Israel should be Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Israel “must now shift to neutralizing Iran’s nuclear scientists and their ability to build an actual weapon,” they wrote. “After this weekend, the threat of a nuclear weapon being deployed from inside Iran toward Israel is a step closer to reality.”

Former British Army Commander Colonel Richard Kemp — who served as chairman of the British government’s Cobra Intelligence Group, responsible for coordinating the work of the national intelligence agencies, including MI5 and MI6 — also argued that a “disproportionate” response was not only warranted, but needed.

“I don’t think Israel should be looking at a proportionate response, I think Israel should be looking at a disproportionate response here,” he said during a media interview on Monday. “Israel should deliver a very, very severe retaliatory attack or series of attacks against Iran. And the reason I say that, it sounds terrible, sounds like war mongering, it isn’t intended to be that. But in this region in particular, only strength is understood.”

“Since Iran carried out this attack over the weekend, it’s been ridiculed around the Arab world for being ineffective for not achieving anything,” he continued. “And that shows the level of contempt that countries around here and players around here have witnessed. So Israel needs to be to deliver something that will not just be a kind of tit for tat, which will again encourage a further response from Iran, it needs to deliver a level of attack, in my view, yeah, that that really does deter Iran from doing the same.”

Daily Wire

Day 193 — Tuesday, April 16

In the last [few days], we have seen Iran’s attack against Israel, and protests around our country and the world spewing Jewish hatred and anti-Israel sentiments. The Bible tells us that Jerusalem is a city the world will come against.

But we need to remember Jerusalem is God’s chosen city. It’s where He put His name; where He put His people. In Hebrew, Jerusalem means “city of peace.” It is the city that has been fortified and raised up as a fortress for God’s chosen people.

“That My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.” 1 Kings 11:36b

We need to be in fervent prayer for the people of Jerusalem and the people of Israel, as we remember that Jerusalem is the place where Jesus will make his triumphant return.

Cissie Graham Lynch — Instagram

Day 193 — Tuesday, April 16

A United Nations Security Council committee considering an application by the Palestinian Authority to become a full UN member “was unable to make a unanimous recommendation” on whether it met the criteria, according to the committee report seen by Reuters today.

The Palestinian Authority is still expected to push the 15-member Security Council to vote — as early as this week — on a draft resolution recommending it become a full member of the world body, diplomats say.

Such membership would effectively recognize a Palestinian state. The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the 193-member UN General Assembly in 2012.

But an application to become a full UN member needs to be approved by the Security Council — where Israel’s ally the United States can block it — and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.

The Security Council committee on the admission of new members — made up of all 15 council members — agreed to its report today after meeting twice last week to discuss the Palestinian application.

“Regarding the issue of whether the application met all the criteria for membership… the committee was unable to make a unanimous recommendation to the Security Council,” the report says, adding that “differing views were expressed.”

UN membership is open to “peace-loving states” that accept the obligations in the founding UN Charter and are able and willing to carry them out.

Times Of Israel

Day 193 — Tuesday, April 16

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi warned Monday that Iran’s missile and drone attack on the country a day earlier, which caused slight damage to an airbase, “will be met with a response.”

The comments were made as he met soldiers at the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, where four Iranian ballistic missiles struck during the attack early Sunday. It came hours after the war cabinet met to decide on an Israeli response.

“Iran wanted to harm the strategic capabilities of the State of Israel — that is something that had not happened before. We were prepared for the ‘Iron Shield’ operation — preparation that brought Iran to also encounter aerial superiority,” he said, referring to the effort to counter the Iran blitz by its military code name.

“We are looking ahead, we are considering our steps, and this launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs into the territory of the State of Israel will be met with a response,” he added.

In a separate English-language video statement, Halevi said the attack had “created new opportunities for cooperation in the Middle East” and that “Iran will face the consequences for its actions.”

“Over the weekend, Iran launched a large-scale attack on Israel. Over 350 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, armed drones, and rockets were fired from Iranian soil — as well as Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon — towards the State of Israel,” he said.

“Across the skies of the Middle East — a coalition was activated to counter this attack, marking the start of the IDF’s Operation: ‘Iron Shield,’” Halevi continued.

“The Israel Defense Forces — together with the United States Central Command; the British Armed Forces; the French Armed Forces, and other partners — operated together in real-time — in the air, on the ground, and at sea,” he said.

“Defense systems were activated; the threats were intercepted — and Iran’s attack on Israel failed. Operation Iron Shield proved the strength of our iron-clad cooperation,” Halevi said.

Halevi said he thanks “all our international partners who stood up to Iran’s aggression. Iran’s attack has created new opportunities for cooperation in the Middle East.”

“We are closely assessing the situation. We remain at our highest level of readiness. Iran will face the consequences for its actions. We will choose our response accordingly. The IDF remains ready to counter any threat from Iran and its terror proxies, as we continue our mission to defend the State of Israel,” he added.

Times Of Israel

Day 193 — Tuesday, April 16

There were shocking scenes on the streets of New York City on Monday as Palestinian activists set fire to an American flag being held by Israel supporters while chanting ‘Death to America!’ right under the noses of the NYPD.

There were audible gasps as the Stars and Stripes being held by a pro-Israel counter-protestor was set alight and then waved in the air – as bright yellow flames could be seen coming from the flag. 

Police officers stationed at the protest outside the New York Stock Exchange could be seen wrestling the flag and stamping out the fire as it was brought to the ground.

Police officers appeared oblivious to what was happening right in front of them and in video footage appears to have little drive to chase down the man who shouted the offending phrase.  

The shocking sights were part of a day of planned protest across the country that saw activists block the Brooklyn Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and roads to the Chicago O’Hare Airport in a coordinated attempt to bring America to its knees and cause maximum inconvenience. 

Outside Brooklyn Borough Hall, another protester burned an American flag to cinders amid cheers of jubilation on Monday. In the background, a man chants: ‘America falls today. America falls now. America will forever fall.’ 

On Monday afternoon, more anti-Israel protestors took to the Brooklyn Bridge and were seen walking through traffic, chanting, banging drums and igniting flares. 

New York Police made numerous arrests, saying 150 protesters were initially involved in the march around 3:15pm, but that number quickly grew. The bridge was fully reopened by 5pm.

Pro-Palestinian protesters used Monday’s tax day as a way to make a statement in a nationwide ‘A15’ protest.

The economic blockade was scheduled in solidarity with Palestine and called for an arms embargo and an end to US taxpayer funding for Israel. 

Other protests broke out on Monday morning on a Philadelphia intersection and on Highway 880 in Oakland, California.

Daily Mail

Day 192 — Monday, April 15

Four soldiers were wounded, one of them seriously, in a blast that occurred as troops operated several hundred meters inside Lebanese territory overnight, the Israel Defense Forces said Monday morning. The Hezbollah terror group took responsibility for the explosion on the border.

The cause of the blast that wounded the soldiers in the western region of the border with Lebanon was under investigation by the military, which said in a statement that the explosion was of “unknown origin.”

The military said the incident took place during “operational activity” carried out by troops of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit and the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, on the Lebanese side of the border, several hundred meters from Israel’s fence.

One soldier was seriously wounded, two were listed in moderate condition, and another was lightly hurt, according to the IDF. The troops were taken by helicopter from Lebanese territory to a hospital in Israel.

Claiming the blast, Hezbollah said it placed several explosive devices adjacent to the border, inside Lebanese territory, in an area across from the northern Israeli community of Adamit.

The terror group said the bombs were detonated as the Israeli troops crossed the frontier.

Also overnight, the IDF said fighter jets struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon.

The targets included rocket launch posts, buildings used by the terror group, and other infrastructure in Seddiqine, Matmoura, Labbouneh, and Ayta ash-Shab, according to the military.

Troops also shelled areas near Ayta ash-Shab with artillery to “remove threats,” the army added.

Since October 8, Hezbollah has attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a daily basis with rockets, drones, anti-tank missiles and other means, saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there. The group is an Iranian proxy in Lebanon, and Palestinian terror groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are backed by Iran.

Israel has threatened to go to war to force Hezbollah away from the border if it does not retreat and continues to threaten northern communities, from where some 70,000 people were evacuated to avoid the fighting.

Times Of Israel

Day 192 — Monday, April 15

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of instigating the conflict in Gaza to undermine progress in reaching a normalization agreement between Riyadh and Jerusalem.

In an interview with Israeli public broadcaster Kan News on Sunday, a source from the royal family also said that Tehran promotes terrorism and suggested that Riyadh played a role in thwarting Saturday night’s drone and missile attack against Israel by the Islamic Republic and its proxies.

Notably, a recap of the interview is published prominently on the House of Saud website, which covers the royal family.

“Iran is a nation that endorses terrorism, and the world should have curtailed it much earlier,” the Saudi royal said.

In its first-ever direct attack on the Jewish state, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles on Saturday night, with the vast majority of them intercepted by Israel and allied militaries. The Kan interview appears to be the first Saudi acknowledgment that it helped fend off the attack, along with the United States, United Kingdom, Jordan and France.

JNS

Day 192 — Monday, April 15

A senior Iranian general with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike at the beginning of April had reportedly been involved in the “planning and execution” of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The Iranian Coalition Council of Islamic Revolution Forces, which has ties to the “supreme leader” of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a letter on April 3 showing “mourning and appreciation” for Mohammad Reza Zahedi, according to the U.S.-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). This letter was translated by MEMRI.

“The strategic role of the martyr Zahedi in consolidating and strengthening the resistance front, and in the planning and execution of Al-Aqsa Flood, are part of the great pride that will transform the quiet efforts of this great commander into the eternal history of the struggle against the occupation by the Zionist regime,” the Iranian group wrote, according to the MEMRI translation.

Operation Al-Aqsa Flood is the name used to refer to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack in which roughly 1,200 Israelis were left dead, and more than 200 people were taken as hostages.

Zahedi, who had been the IRGC’s Commander of the Quds Force’s Unit 18000, was killed on April 1, along with six other senior Iranian military officials after Israel launched an airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria. Additionally, Zahedi had also previously commanded the IRGC’s Air Force and the Imam Hussein Division.

Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles at Israel on Saturday night in retaliation for Israel’s airstrike.

Khamenei previously denied that Tehran was behind Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.

Breitbart

Day 192 — Monday, April 15

Iran’s foreign ministry on Sunday summoned the ambassadors of Britain, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their “irresponsible stance” regarding Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel, Reuters reported, citing Iranian media.

The three European countries condemned Iran’s drone and missile attack against Israel, which went through Saturday night into Sunday and were in retaliation for a bombing of the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1, which has been blamed on Israel.

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné also confirmed that French forces assisted in intercepting the Iranian attack on Israel, saying, “We did what we needed to do.”

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he condemned, “in the strongest terms,” Iran’s attack on Israel in a call with Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian.

“I made clear that Iran must stop these reckless attacks, de-escalate, and release the MSC Aries,” Cameron noted.

Later, the director for Western Europe at Iran’s foreign ministry accused the three countries of “double standards”, noting they opposed earlier this month a Russian-drafted UN Security Council statement that would have condemned the alleged Israeli attack in Syria.

Arutz Sheva

Day 192 — Monday, April 15

Just hours after the unprecedented Iranian missile and drone attack against Israel, top Iranian military leaders threatened to launch even larger attacks if the Jewish state decides to launch a counterstrike.

“Our response will be much larger than tonight’s military action if Israel retaliates against Iran,” the head of the Iranian military, Maj.-Gen. Mohammad Bagheri warned.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF), the United States and other allies successfully neutralized about 99% of the 300 missiles and drones Tehran fired toward Israel in the early morning hours on Sunday

Bagheri further warned the U.S. that Iran would attack U.S. military bases in the Middle East if Washington took part in facilitating an Israeli counterstrike on Iranian soil.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi issued a similar threat towards Israel and its allies, primarily the United States.

“If the Zionist regime (Israel) or its supporters demonstrate reckless behavior, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response,” Raisi warned.

While Washington, London and other allies supported Israel in thwarting the unprecedented Iranian aggression on Israeli soil, they simultaneously feared that a strong Israeli military response could escalate the conflict with Iran.

Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war for decades, however, it was mostly Israel versus Iranian proxies and some IRGC elements. However, Saturday evening marked the first time that the ayatollah regime launched a direct attack from its territory against Israel.

IRGC Commander Hossein Salami indicated a shift in strategy when he stated that Saturday’s attack has created a “new equation.” He warned that Iran would launch similar attacks from its territory in response to any future Israeli military actions that threaten Iranian interests in the Middle East and beyond.

Iran has built a “circle of fire” with terror militias surrounding Israel with terror proxies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

Israel has responded by targeting many of these Iranian-backed terror groups including IRGC officers commanding them.

All Israel News 

Day 191 — Sunday, April 14

Following Iran’s recent attack involving hundreds of drones and missiles, President Isaac Herzog declared that Israel is “considering all options” to ensure the protection and defense of its people.

While emphasizing that Israel is not seeking war, Herzog characterized the attack as a “declaration of war” and underscored the need for a firm response to Iranian aggression.

While expressing Israel’s restraint and ongoing dialogue with international partners, Herzog stressed that all options are being considered to address the threat posed by Iran. He reiterated that Israel’s primary objective is the protection and defense of its people and reiterated that the country is not seeking to escalate the conflict into full-scale war.

Herzog condemned Iran’s pattern of behavior, describing the attack as another example of the regime’s efforts to sow chaos, terror, and instability globally. He called on the international community to confront what he referred to as the “evil empire” in Tehran and to send a clear message to the Iranian regime that such actions will not be tolerated.

The Israeli president’s remarks reflect the seriousness with which Israel views the Iranian threat and its determination to respond appropriately to ensure the safety and security of its citizens. While advocating for a firm stance against Iran, Herzog also emphasized the importance of international solidarity in addressing the broader challenge posed by the Iranian regime.

i24 News

Day 191 — Sunday, April 14

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, spoke on Sunday at a discussion of the UN Security Council, which convened at Erdan’s request to discuss Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel.

In his remarks, Erdan demanded that the Security Council condemn Iran and showed the video in which Iranian missiles are seen intercepted over Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

“From the moment I began my tenure here, in every speech and in countless letters, I rang the warning bell regarding Iran. I called on this Council to take concrete action against the Ayatollah regime,” said Erdan.

“I made it clear that Iran and its hegemonic ambitions of global domination must be stopped before it drives the world to a point of no return: to a regional war that can escalate to a world war,” he continued.

“Sadly,” the Israeli Ambassador continued, “no action was taken. And last night, the world witnessed an unprecedented escalation that serves as the clearest proof for what happens when warnings aren’t heeded. Israel is not the boy who cried wolf. We have been screaming from the rooftops for years, trying to wake up the international community, but to no avail.”

“If only this Council would have internalized my words, it would not have needed the bone rattling explosions of last night’s attack to wake it up.”

Erdan continued by saying that “Iran proved again that it cares nothing for Islam or Muslims” with its attack on Saturday night.

“The Iranian attack seriously injured Amina al-Hassouni, a seven-year-old Bedouin girl in Israel. But look at this video that shows how Israel intercepts Iranian drones above the Temple Mount and Al-Aqsa Mosque,” he said, before showing the video to those present.

“To Iran, Israel’s annihilation and igniting the region is more important than Islamic holy sites. The Ayatollah regime, in its plot to impose a global Shia hegemony through its proxies, has even attacked Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and anyone else they view as an obstacle.”

Erdan noted that “while this direct Iranian attack on Israel was the first of its kind, it is just the most recent chapter in a blood-soaked saga that started from the moment the Islamic revolution reared its head.”

“The Ayatollah regime has a clear plan: its goal has been and continues to be world domination by exporting its radical Shia revolution across the globe. The Islamic regime of today is no different than the Third Reich. And Ayatollah Khamenei is no different than Adolf Hitler,” he said, adding, “Hitler’s Third Reich was envisioned to be a thousand-year empire stretching across continents, just as Khamenei envisions his radical Shia hegemony to stretch across the region and beyond.”

Erdan warned that “the Ayatollah regime acts like the Nazi regime, and their army includes Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Revolutionary Guard, and other savage Jihadists. Instead of shouting ‘Sieg Heil,’ these radical Nazi Islamists scream, ‘Death to Israel! Death to America! Death to England!’ Just like the Nazi regime, the Ayatollah regime sows death and destruction everywhere it touches.”

“Why have you instead rolled out the red-carpet for these genocidal Jihadists? Why do you treat them as if they are interested in de-escalation when you know that the opposite is true?” he asked.

“Iran has attacked Israel from its own sovereign territory – publicly and proudly. The mask is off. Iran, the number-one global sponsor of terror, has exposed its true face as the destabilizer of the region and the world. And now – right now – is when the world must stop ignoring Iran’s crimes and take action,” said Erdan.

Arutz Sheva

Day 191 — Sunday, April 14

Israel’s airspace reopened on Sunday morning following an unprecedented direct attack by Iran during the overnight hours that saw over 300 drones and missiles fired at the Jewish state.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held an operational situation assessment on Sunday morning with other senior security officials. He praised the coordinated defensive response to the attack, which stopped the vast majority of the missiles and drones, but warned the public to remain vigilant as the campaign continues.

“Overnight, the whole world saw the true face of Iran—a terrorist state that attacked the State of Israel from a distance of 1,500 kilometers [932 miles] and in doing so also attempted to employ all of its proxies,” said Gallant. “On the other hand, the world also saw the power of a coalition, and how Israel, together with the United States and additional partners, stood together and thwarted this attack in a way that is unparalleled,” he added.

The State of Israel was attacked with “hundreds” of missiles and drones, which the Israel Defense Forces stopped “in an impressive manner,” he said.

“Together with the United States and additional partners, we managed to defend the territory of the State of Israel. Very little damage was caused—this is the result of the IDF’s impressive operations,” said Gallant.

“The campaign is not over yet—we must remain alert and attentive to the instructions published by the IDF and Homefront Command. We must be prepared for every scenario. Having said this, we have thwarted the most significant wave [of the attack], and we did so successfully,” he continued.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden following deliberations by the security war cabinets overnight Saturday.

A government meeting scheduled for Sunday was nixed as Israel coordinates its response to the Iranian attack.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday morning praised Israel’s resilience.

“Bless you dear soldiers and commanders of the IDF and IAF. Bless the coalition of nations led by the US and @POTUS. Bless my sisters and brothers, the people of Israel, for their exceptional show of resilience. Together, the forces of good will overcome the forces of evil. Am Yisrael Chai!” Herzog tweeted.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday morning called for a “crushing attack” on the regime in Tehran.

“Impressive defense so far—now we need a crushing attack,” the minister tweeted.

While Israeli airspace reopened on Sunday morning, Air France and KLM have announced that they are canceling flights to and from Tel Aviv. The Iranian attack threw flight schedules into disarray, stranding passengers across the world.

Jordan also opened its airspace on Sunday morning after Amman assisted in thwarting the Iranian attack by shooting down drones and missiles over its territory. The United States and the United Kingdom also helped fend off the attack.

JNS

Day 191 — Sunday, April 14

At 7:15 a.m. IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari said that 99% of the aerial threats were shot down, which he said was a strategic achievement.

Zero of the close to 200 drones and zero of the 30 cruise missiles got through to Israeli territory at all.

25 of the 30 cruise missiles were shot down by Israel.

Of 130 ballistic missiles, only a small number got through.

Hagari noted that Yemen was involved in the attack, with US reports that America shot down around 70 aerial attacks using naval and aerial power.

The censor permitted publishing that the base which had minor hits was Nebatim in the desert, a key base for the F-35. Israel also published photos and video which it said were showing Nebatim air base still fully functioning despite the minor hits.

Hagari also alluded to Jordan’s assistance along with that of its other allies.

Jerusalem Post

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Airlines canceled flights to and from Israel as the country fended off a barrage of missile and drone attacks from Iran on Saturday.

Israel prepared for the missile and drone attacks by closing its airspace to both domestic and international airlines starting at 12:30 a.m. Sunday local time.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, United Airlines said that it canceled Saturday’s flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport, in Tel Aviv, Israel. 

Fox News

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, sent urgent letter to the President of the UN Security Council and demanded an urgent meeting of the Council following the Iranian attack on Israel.

Erdan demanded that the Security Council criticize Iran for the attack on Israel and declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organization.

“Six months after Hamas’ brutal terror attack on October 7, I wish to express my outrage regarding the attack against the State of Israel by the Iranian regime, which once again undermines Security Council resolutions, fosters instability, and poses a grave threat to international peace and security. Today, Iran has launched a direct attack from within its territory of more than 200 UAVs, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles towards Israel in clear violation of the UN Charter and international law. Iran has also publicly taken pride in the attack. The attack is a severe and dangerous escalation,” Erdan wrote.

“Iran continues to violate its international obligations, evidenced by today’s attack on Israel in violation of Security Council resolution 2231 (2015), and by accelerating the pace of its weapons transfers to Hezbollah in violation of Security Council Resolution 1701. Iran has been the architect of instability for years, through Hamas, the Houthis, Hezbollah and other proxies. But it is now standing front and center in its actions to fulfill its ambition to attack Israel,” he added.

“These attacks on Israel are part of a dangerous trend of deterioration as reflected in my various letters to you over the past years, posing a concrete threat to the peace and security of the entire region. Israel has warned the international community of Iran’s aspirations, beyond its terror activities and support of terror proxies, including the funding and arming of both Hamas and Hezbollah. The Iranian attack follows the seizure of a Portuguese civilian cargo ship by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.”

“The gravity and volume of the attacks are unprecedented, and are a flagrant violation of Israel’s sovereignty, of international law, and of Security Council resolutions. Iran poses a direct threat to international peace, and brazenly violates the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions. The time has come for the Security Council to take concrete action against the Iranian threat,” wrote Ambassador Erdan.

“I confirm Israel’s request to convene a meeting of the Security Council immediately to unequivocally condemn Iran for these grave violations and immediately act to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization,” he added.

Later on Saturday night, it was announced that the Security Council had agreed to Erdan’s request and would convene on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. New York time.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote on social media earlier, “I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by Iran.”

“I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities. Neither the region nor the world can afford another war,” he added.

Arutz Sheva

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

A short while ago, dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory. The IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the “Arrow” Aerial Defense System, together with Israel’s strategic allies, before the launches crossed into Israeli territory. A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure.

Over the past few hours, many dozens of hostile aircraft, as well as dozens of cruise missiles, from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory and intercepted. Dozens of IAF fighter jets are currently operating to intercept all aerial threats approaching Israeli territory.

The IDF is deployed on all fronts, prepared, and continuing to defend Israeli territory.

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Israel is being attacked from all sides as Iran and its proxies launched hundreds of suicide drones, ballistic missiles, and rockets at the Jewish state.

It is Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel, and photos emerged Saturday night of Iranians celebrating in Tehran.

U.S. officials anticipate Iran will launch approximately 500 drones and missiles from within the Islamic Republic — as well as from proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, ABC News reports.

The overwhelming attack also differentiates the massive size difference between the longtime enemies. While Israel has more than 8 million people, the population of Iran is believed to be over 89 million — more than 10 times.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a statement after the drones were launched, declaring, “The malicious Zionist regime will be punished.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation, saying the country was preparing for a direct attack, and will respond accordingly.

New York Post

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Erick Stakelbeck, host of the Watchman Newscast, is reporting, based on his sources close to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, that Jordan and Saudi Arabia are taking part in the interception of projectiles bound for Israel from Iran.

“The US, the UK, and France are assisting Israel in intercepting these incoming projectiles,” he described. “Hundreds of attack drones and dozens of ballistic missiles have been launched from Iran proper—from Iranian soil.”

“But here is the interesting wrinkle… Jordan and Saudi Arabia are reportedly also contributing and helping shoot down these incoming projectiles,” Stakelbeck explained. “That’s a big deal to have to sunni arab nations basically alongside Israel against the Iranian axis.”

“Right now, the ‘ring of fire’ has ignited,” he warned. “The Houthis to the south have opened fire. Hezbollah to the north has opened fire. Shite militias in Iraq and Syria are also right now in real-time on Israel. The only silver lining here is that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have been smashed so severely that I don’t expect much to come out of Gaza in this engagement.”

“Let’s pray for the ultimate ‘Iron Dome,’ the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to cover His land and His people right now like never before,” he urged.

HD STAFF

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

The Nation Israel is under attack from the nation of Iran.

As American evangelicals, we want our Jewish friends to know that we stand behind the Jewish homeland and her people. This attack is on the heels of the horrific attack from Hamas, which is a proxy of Iran on Israel on October 7th.

We pray that God almighty would protect Israel at this hour and we are to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem”. (Psalm 122:6 )

One of the signs of the end time is an increase in anti-Semitism and the increasing isolation of the state of Israel. We are certainly seeing that happen before our very eyes.

Greg Laurie

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

US official tells Fox News that U.S. military is continuing to shoot down Iranian drones that are headed toward Israel.

“U.S. forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel. Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region,” a U.S. military official said.

The shooting down comes hours after Iran launched drones, and later ballistic missiles, in retaliation for a deadly strike on its Syrian consulate earlier this month.

Fox News

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Israel is defending its airspace against Iranian drones and missiles – launched in what Tehran has described as a retaliatory strike.

RAF jets were also involved in the defence of Israel on Saturday evening, Sky News understands, while US planes have reportedly downed Iranian drones over northern Syria.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency war cabinet to discuss the situation late on Saturday night, while in Washington, US President Joe Biden also held an emergency meeting with top officials.

Across Israel, the military sounded sirens in multiple locations in southern areas as well as in parts of the West Bank, an alert app showed.

Sky News correspondent Alex Rossi, in Jerusalem, said he had heard “explosions” and seen “what look like air defence interception systems”.

Sky News

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says its medics are treating a 7-year-old girl in southern Israel who was wounded by shrapnel following the interception of an Iranian drone over the area.

The girl, from a Bedouin town near Arad, is listed in serious condition, MDA says.

She has been taken to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba.

Times Of Israel

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a new video statement says Iran has fired missiles at Israel, while “numerous” fighter jets are in the sky readying to counter Tehran’s attacks.

“A short while ago, Iran launched missiles from its territory toward the territory of the State of Israel,” Hagari says.

He says Israel’s air defense array is “fully operational and is intercepting threats wherever required, even at this very moment. ”

“At this time, numerous IAF planes are in the air, ready to counter any threat,” Hagari says.

“You may hear explosions from interceptions or debris falling. Since there are a variety of threats, the alerts may be issued across wide areas,” he continues.

He urges the public to “refrain from spreading unverified rumors and reports.”

Times Of Israel

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

The IDF is reporting that sirens are sounding in southern Israel, the area of the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, and Northern Israel amid mass drone attack by Iran.

IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, shortly ago stated in an update, “I remind you that know matter where the threat is launched from, when an alarm sounds you must enter the shelter and wait therefor no less than ten minutes”

“We are strong and capable of handling this event,” he continued. “The IDF will do whatever it takes to protect the citizens of the State of Israel.”

HD STAFF

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday evening published an announcement, in light of Iran’s increasing hostility towards Israel.

“Citizens of Israel, in recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran,” he said.

“Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong.

“We appreciate the US standing alongside Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries.”

Netanyahu continued, “We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination.”

“Citizens of Israel, I know that you also are also level-headed. I call on you to follow the directives of IDF Home Front Command. Together we will stand and with God’s help – together we will overcome all of our enemies.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Almost immediately after the Iranian regime launched at least 100 killer drones at Israel from Iranian soil, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan declared a state of emergency.

Jordan has closed its airspace to all flights.

It is also scrambling military assets to protect Jordanian civilians from any Iranian drones or missiles that might fall short of Israel and accidentally hit Jordan.

All Israel News 

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a press statement confirms that dozens of drones launched from Iran are heading toward Israel.

He says the Israeli Air Force is tracking the drones, while noting that they will take several hours to reach the country.

Hagari says there will be GPS disruptions as the military works to intercept the drones.

If there are any additional attacks, that require a separate warning, Hagari says the IDF will update the public.

Sirens will only sound if the drones enter Israeli airspace, at the relevant locations, Hagari says. He says the IDF will work to intercept the targets as early as possible.

Channel 12 says the US was the first to identify the launch and immediately notified Israel.

The IDF in a statement says the military is tracking all of the drones launched at Israel from Iran.

“A short while ago, Iran launched unmanned aerial vehicles from its territory towards the territory of the State of Israel,” the statement says.

“The air defense array is on high alert at the same time as the Air Force planes and Navy ships that are on a mission to protect the country’s skies,” it continues.

“The IDF is monitoring all targets,” the military says.

“Together with our partners, the IDF is operating at full force to defend the State of Israel—and the people of Israel. This is a mission that we are determined and ready to fulfill.”

IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on the current attack from Iran: pic.twitter.com/rjNqLPFs9X

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 13, 2024

Times Of Israel

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

After over 40 rocket launches from Lebanon crossed into Israeli territory on Friday, the IDF responded by striking the sources of fire, the military stated.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the launches. No injuries were reported in Israel as a result of the rocket fire.

This rocket fire comes after nearly 48 hours of quiet on the northern front, raising suspicion at a time when the threat from Iran is at the forefront of people’s minds.

IDF spokesperson R-Adm. Daniel Hagari, during a public briefing, said, “I emphasize that at this stage, there is no change in the Home Front Command’s instructions. If there is a change, we will update you immediately. It is right to say that the coming days require us to be alert and prepared. I know this situation raises many questions, and therefore, we will keep updating the public regularly. All instructions for conduct during an alert and emergency situation are detailed on the Home Front Command website.”

Additionally, the IDF reported that Israeli jets had struck Hezbollah military compounds in the southern Lebanon area of Ayta ash Shab in which terrorists were operating. Another Hezbollah compound in the area of Taybeh was also reportedly struck.

Jerusalem Post

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

The US Defense Department is moving additional assets to the Middle East region “to bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for US forces,” a US defense official told CNN on Friday, as Israel and the US brace for a potential Iranian attack.

The White House said that there remains a “real,” “credible” and “viable” threat of Iran launching strikes in retaliation for the attack attributed to Israel on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria last week that killed three Iranian generals.

“We’re watching this very, very closely,” said John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, who declined to provide information about the expected timing of the threat.

The US is not anticipating that Iran or its proxies will attack US forces as part of its retaliation but is moving the assets just in case, according to CNN.

“It would be imprudent if we didn’t take a look at our own posture in the region to make sure that we’re properly prepared,” Kirby said.

CBS News reported on Friday, citing two US officials, that an Iranian attack against Israel is expected to occur as soon as Friday and may include more than 100 drones and dozens of missiles aimed at military targets inside the country.

The officials said it would be challenging for the Israelis to defend against an attack of such a magnitude and while they held out the possibility that the Iranians could opt for a smaller-scale attack to avoid a dramatic escalation, their retaliation was believed to be imminent.

Arutz Sheva

Day 196 — Friday, April 19

Israel targeted the defense system of the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran during its strikes Friday morning, ABC quoted a senior American official as saying.

“The Israelis were targeting an air defense radar site near Isfahan that’s part of the protection of the Natanz nuclear facility,” ABC said, in the name of the official. “The first assessment is that the strike took out the site, but assessment hasn’t been completed, the official said.”

The official noted, however, that the strike was meant to send a signal to Iran about Israeli capabilities, but not to escalate the situation.

The attack, which Israel has not claimed credit for, was launched in response to the aerial barrage of ballistic missiles and attack drones that Iran sent to Israel last Saturday night following an airstrike in Damascus, widely attributed to Israel, that killed a senior officer in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The officer was connected to Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy that has been attacking Israel almost daily since Hamas’s attack on October 7.

In the hours since the strikes in Iran Friday morning, Iran has downplayed their effect and significance, declining to directly point the finger at Israel and announcing that no damage was done to any nuclear sites. The International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) also reported that no damage was done to nuclear sites, and there were no reported casualties.

Jerusalem Post

Day 196 — Friday, April 19

Israel has conducted strikes in Iran in retaliation for Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile assault earlier this week, defying US President Joe Biden’s warning that more attacks could plunge the Middle East further into conflict. 

The city of Isfahan in central Iran was struck at 5 am local time, with Israeli projectiles reported to have targeted an Air Force base near Isfahan, which long has been home to Iran’s fleet of American-made F-14 Tomcats – purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

A base near the city hosts one of Iran’s nuclear facilities, although US military sources reportedly said the target was not believed to be nuclear.

Iran sought to downplay any significant damage to its military facilities and outright denied any nuclear plants were destroyed, claiming that ‘so far, no large-scale strikes or explosions by any air threat have been reported.’ 

Iranian state TV this morning released footage of an undisturbed Isfahan city scape to cast doubt on reports the city had been hit.

Today’s early morning strike comes after Iran launched a barrage of hundreds of drones and rockets at Israel on Saturday, which was largely thwarted by Israel and its international allies. Isfahan was one of several launch sites used in the attack. 

Earlier this week, Biden warned Israel not to retaliate to Saturday’s foiled strikes and urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ‘take the win‘.

Iranian officials meanwhile told Reuters that Tehran has no plan for immediate retaliation against Israel, contradicting statements made by several senior politicians earlier this week. 

No official comment has been released by Israel or the US, but the explosions in Iran will heighten fears of a stronger tit-for-tat retaliation.

Iranian National Security Committee official Abolfazl Amoue declared earlier this week that Tehran is ‘prepared to use a weapon that we have never used’ if Israel responds further. 

And Iran’s foreign minister told CNN yesterday that Tehran’s response to an Israeli strike would be immediate. 

‘If the Israeli regime commits the great error once again our response will be decisive, definitive and regretful for them,’ Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said. 

Footage circulating social media appears to show explosions overhead in Iran, though MailOnline has not been able to confirm the footage. 

Israeli officials warned the Biden administration of its intent to strike before launching in previous days, but an official told CNN that the US did not ‘green light’ any Israeli response. 

Hours before, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Thursday afternoon, but a senior source declined to confirm to the New York Times whether Gallant warned about the strikes following the meeting.  

Around four hours after reports of strikes, Iran lifted flight suspensions and opened its airports, with runways in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz closed amid the Israeli attack. 

Further explosions reportedly hit military targets in Iraq and Syria around the same time. Syria’s state-run SANA news agency quoted a military statement as saying Israel carried out a missile strike targeting an air defence unit in its south, causing material damage.  

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the strike hit a military radar for government forces. It was not clear if there were casualties, the Observatory said.

The Observatory’s chief Rami Abdurrahman said six Israeli fighter jets entered Syria’s airspace and were flying east when they were spotted by the radar.

Although the US military played a central role in halting Iran’s strikes on Saturday, President Biden said he made it ‘very clear’ to Netanyahu that he had to act ‘carefully and strategically.’

Biden urged Netanyahu to ‘take the win’ of the derailed attack, and cautioned that the US would not participate in any Israeli counter-offensive. 

The Israeli leader brushed off Biden’s warnings, insisting Israel would ‘make its own decisions’ in how to react to Iran’s attack. 

Meanwhile, the United States embassy in Israel told its employees and their families to restrict their movements this morning.

‘Out of an abundance of caution following reports that Israel conducted a retaliatory strike inside Iran, US government employees and their family members are restricted from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv’ area as well as the Jerusalem and Beersheva areas ‘until further notice,’ a security advisory issued by the mission on its website said.

Due to a ‘complex’ security environment that ‘can change quickly,’ the embassy ‘may further restrict or prohibit’ the concerned people from travelling to parts of Israel, Jerusalem’s Old City, and the occupied West Bank, the advisory read.

US officials said there was an expectation that if Israel defied warnings, they would not target nuclear or civilian sites. 

In the UK, a Cabinet minister declined to say whether the UK would support Israel’s reported action in Iran.

Daily Mail

Day 195 — Thursday, April 18

Israel’s UN envoy Gilad Erdan slams the fact that the United Nations Security Council is even considering granting full membership to the Palestinian Authority as “immoral.”

“Membership in the United Nations is open to all peace-loving states. Peace-loving — what a joke,” Erdan says ahead of the vote set to take place at 5:00 p.m. (2100 GMT), according to Malta, which holds the council’s rotating presidency.

Erdan charges that granting full member status to the PA would “reward the supporters and perpetrators” of Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.

“The child murderers and rapists of Hamas,” he says, “are watching this meeting and they are smiling.”

“How many times has this council met to discuss ways to advance the release of our hostages held in Gaza? How many times? Not even once,” Erdan asks during the Security Council session.

“How many condemnations has this council issued against Hamas for their heinous October 7 massacre? Zero.”

“How detached from reality can this council be to dedicate its time and resources to support a resolution so disconnected to the reality on the ground. To a resolution that will have zero positive impact for any party. That will cause only destruction for years to come and harm any chance for future dialogue,” he says.

US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel confirms that Washington will veto the UN Security Council resolution being brought to a vote later today.

Patel says during a press briefing that there wasn’t unanimity among committee members as to whether the Palestinians had met the criteria necessary to be defined as a state.

Moreover, the State Department spokesperson says the Palestinian Authority needs to undergo significant reforms before it can assume statehood responsibilities.

Times Of Israel

Day 195 — Thursday, April 18

Soon after the failed drone and missile assault by Iran against Israel early on Sunday morning, images of the blackened remains of intercepted rockets scattered across Israel began circulating on social media.

An especially poignant image showed the hull of an enormous rocket floating on the salty waters of Israel’s Dead Sea. The area immediately to the west of the sea, around the towns of Arad and Dimona, was one of the attack’s main targets.

“When I first saw images on Sunday circulating on social media I thought they were fake. There is nothing fake about this, or the threat it posed,” IDF Lt.-Col. Peter Lerner, who serves as an IDF spokesman in the reserves, wrote on 𝕏.

This is 70% of one of the 120 !!! ballistic missiles #Iran launched at #Israel on Saturday. It was intercepted and this part fell near the Dead Sea. When I first saw images on Sunday circulating on social media I thought they were fake. There is nothing fake about this, or the… pic.twitter.com/BlbI1GOrP4

— Lt. Col. (R) Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) April 16, 2024

The IDF presented some remains discovered in Israel of the roughly 120 ballistic missiles fired by Iran, most of which were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in cooperation with several allied nations.

IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari visited the Joulis military base, near the town of Kiryat Malachi, where the missile remains were presented.

“We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression,” Hagari told reporters. “Iran will not get [off] scot-free with this aggression.”

Lerner filmed himself next to one of the rockets and wrote on 𝕏: “This is 70% of one of the 120 ballistic missiles Iran launched at Israel on Saturday. It was intercepted and this part fell near the Dead Sea.”

More than 110 ballistic missiles were launched toward Israel over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/qSWrBg73qR

— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) April 16, 2024

According to the IDF, the Iranian Emad missile originally had a warhead of around 450 kg (nearly 900 pounds). The remains – roughly 11 meters (36 ft) in length – were only portions of the fuel tank.

“Over 880 pounds of explosives in just 1 ballistic missile. Around 120 were fired by Iran at Israel. The world must recognize Iran’s attack could’ve ended very differently. It’s thanks to our advanced aerial defense systems and the help of our international partners that the attack was successfully thwarted,” the IDF wrote on its official 𝕏 account.

The Israeli military said it would study the remains to deepen its understanding of Iranian weapons systems.

“Standing next to it, suddenly the claims that Iran’s attack was in any way a token effort or symbolic seem absurd,” noted Dominic Waghorn, a journalist at Sky News who attended the presentation.

“If any one of those ballistic missiles had reached an Israeli population center it would have been devastating.”

All Israel News

Day 195 — Thursday, April 18

Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it launched missiles and drones on an Israeli military facility in Arab al-Aramshe on Wednesday, in response to the Israeli killing of Hezbollah members and commanders in Lebanon. This escalation comes as tensions between Israel and Iran are reaching new heights after a series of strikes and counterstrikes.

Hezbollah says it targeted a military facility in the border town of Arab al-Aramshe on Wednesday to avenge the killing of a number of its fighters, including a commander, in Israeli strikes the day before. Israeli media said the rockets struck a community center.

The Israeli rescue service Magen David Adom said 18 people were wounded, four of them seriously. It didn’t identify them or say whether they were soldiers or civilians. The Israeli military said it identified a number of launches in the area and struck the sources of the rocket fire. It said it also targeted a compound in southern Lebanon.

Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and allied with the Palestinian Hamas terrorist group, have traded fire on a near-daily basis since the start of the war in Gaza.

Hezbollah had said earlier Wednesday that it fired guided missiles at an air traffic base in northern Israel, striking and damaging equipment.

Israeli Hayom

Day 194 — Wednesday, April 17

As the nations of the world actively seek to temper Israel’s response to Sunday’s large-scale drone and missile attack by Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear that the Jewish State will make their “own decisions” in defense of their country.

Shortly following meetings with British and German Foreign Ministers, the Israeli leader on Wednesday stressed that foreign powers would not make the decision surrounding Israel’s next steps in dealing with the Iranian regime.

“I thank our friends for their support in defending Israel, and I say support in words and deeds,” Netanyahu stated. “They [world leaders] have also all types of suggestions and advice. I appreciate it, but I want to make clear that we will make our own decisions, and the State of Israel will do all that is needed to defend itself.”

Early Sunday morning Israel-time, the Iranian regime commenced an attack on Israel, which included over three hundred suicide drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles fired from Iran soil. 99% of the airborne projectiles were intercepted prior to reaching the Jewish State, with the US, UK, France, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia also taking part in shooting down the weapons.

At an annual army parade speech on Wednesday, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi warned that the “slightest action” by Israel in retaliation will be “met with a severe, extensive and painful response.”

Iran asserted that their attack was conducted in retaliation for an alleged Israeli airstrike on their consulate in Syria in which twelve individuals were killed, including an IRGC general reportedly involved in the “planning and execution” of Hamas’ brutal massacre of Israelis on October 7th.

Day 194 — Wednesday, April 17

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan announced on Tuesday that the US will impose new sanctions on Iran following its missile and drone attack on Israel.

“Following Iran’s unprecedented air attack against Israel, President Biden is coordinating with allies and partners, including the G7, and with bipartisan leaders in Congress, on a comprehensive response,” Sullivan said in a statement.

“In the coming days, the United States will impose new sanctions targeting Iran, including its missile and drone program as well as new sanctions against entities supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s Defense Ministry. We anticipate that our allies and partners will soon be following with their own sanctions,” he added.

“In addition,” Sullivan said, “we continue to work through the Department of Defense and US Central Command to further strengthen and expand the successful integration of air and missile defense and early warning systems across the Middle East to further erode the effectiveness of Iran’s missile and UAV capabilities.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 194 — Wednesday, April 17

Attack drones launched by Hezbollah from Southern Lebanon lightly wounded three people near Moshav Beit Hillel in the Eastern Galilee on Tuesday afternoon.

“Two explosive drones crossed from Lebanese territory towards Israeli territory and exploded in the area of ​​Beit Hillel. The incident is under investigation,” the Israel Defense Forces confirmed in an X post.

According to the Maariv daily, no alarms were triggered during the incident. Beit Hillel, located three miles from Kiryat Shmona, has been largely evacuated since late October due to the cross-border attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists.

According to the Maariv daily, no alarms were triggered during the incident. Beit Hillel, located three miles from Kiryat Shmona, has been largely evacuated since late October due to the cross-border attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists.

Shortly after the attack, an Israeli airstrike in Ain Baal, near Tyre in Southern Lebanon, killed a senior Hezbollah terrorist responsible for launching rockets and missiles at the Jewish state, the IDF said.

Ismail Baz, who commanded Hezbollah’s coastal sector, “organized and planned various terrorist plots” in recent months, according to the army.

The military added, “Ismail served in several positions as a senior and veteran official in the military wing of Hezbollah. His current rank is equivalent to the rank of brigadier general.”

Tehran’s terror proxy in Lebanon has been engaged in near-daily attacks on Israel’s evacuated border region since joining the war in support of Hamas a day after the Oct. 7 invasion of the northwestern Negev.

JNS

Day 193 — Tuesday, April 16

Numerous foreign policy experts are urging Israel to deliver a “disproportionate” military response to Iran’s attacks over the weekend and are warning that time is winding down to deal with the Islamic Republic before it becomes a nuclear state.

Part of what is driving the concern from foreign policy and military experts is that Iran has strengthened its relationship with Russia and may soon acquire more advanced military hardware from the Russians that will make it much harder for the U.S., Israel, and Arab allies in the region to counter Iranian threats.

The Washington Post reported on Monday night that top Iranian officials recently attended a VIP tour of Russia’s most advanced military systems and that they are reportedly seeking to acquire Russia’s S-400 missile system, which some military experts claim can shoot down stealth fighter jets.

If Iran were to acquire the S-400, and if it really can shoot down stealth planes, then options could be limited for the U.S. and Israel to deal with Iran’s nuclear program if a situation presented itself where it needed to be destroyed. Iran has rapidly increased their production of enriched uranium — in violation of international law — to the point where they now possess enough nuclear material to build a nuclear weapon with a breakout time of one week.

Compounding the issue is Iran’s continued work on building a secret underground nuclear facility located south of the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant. The facility potentially could be deep enough that conventional weapons in the U.S. arsenal may not be able to reach it.

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a non-partisan institution focusing on national security and foreign policy; Brigadier General (Res.) Professor Jacob Nagel, senior fellow at FDD and a former top Israeli official, said on Monday that a “disproportionate” response would be the only thing that Iran understands.

“If Iran walks away from this moment without paying a severe price, Tehran may be emboldened to deploy its weapons again,” they wrote. “And the next time, these drones and missiles may be armed with nuclear or chemical payloads.”

“Israel must now adopt a doctrine of ‘deterrence by punishment’ where it inflicts disproportionate costs on its enemies and focus its response on a few priority targets,” they continued. “The Israeli military could destroy the weapons deployed against them, including unnamed aerial vehicle development and production plants, as well as cruise missile and drone storage facilities inside Iran. Israel could also hit Iranian ports, oil and gas refineries, pipelines, and other infrastructure that finance the regime.”

Dubowitz and Nagel said that the most important target for Israel should be Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Israel “must now shift to neutralizing Iran’s nuclear scientists and their ability to build an actual weapon,” they wrote. “After this weekend, the threat of a nuclear weapon being deployed from inside Iran toward Israel is a step closer to reality.”

Former British Army Commander Colonel Richard Kemp — who served as chairman of the British government’s Cobra Intelligence Group, responsible for coordinating the work of the national intelligence agencies, including MI5 and MI6 — also argued that a “disproportionate” response was not only warranted, but needed.

“I don’t think Israel should be looking at a proportionate response, I think Israel should be looking at a disproportionate response here,” he said during a media interview on Monday. “Israel should deliver a very, very severe retaliatory attack or series of attacks against Iran. And the reason I say that, it sounds terrible, sounds like war mongering, it isn’t intended to be that. But in this region in particular, only strength is understood.”

“Since Iran carried out this attack over the weekend, it’s been ridiculed around the Arab world for being ineffective for not achieving anything,” he continued. “And that shows the level of contempt that countries around here and players around here have witnessed. So Israel needs to be to deliver something that will not just be a kind of tit for tat, which will again encourage a further response from Iran, it needs to deliver a level of attack, in my view, yeah, that that really does deter Iran from doing the same.”

Daily Wire

Day 193 — Tuesday, April 16

In the last [few days], we have seen Iran’s attack against Israel, and protests around our country and the world spewing Jewish hatred and anti-Israel sentiments. The Bible tells us that Jerusalem is a city the world will come against.

But we need to remember Jerusalem is God’s chosen city. It’s where He put His name; where He put His people. In Hebrew, Jerusalem means “city of peace.” It is the city that has been fortified and raised up as a fortress for God’s chosen people.

“That My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.” 1 Kings 11:36b

We need to be in fervent prayer for the people of Jerusalem and the people of Israel, as we remember that Jerusalem is the place where Jesus will make his triumphant return.

Cissie Graham Lynch — Instagram

Day 193 — Tuesday, April 16

A United Nations Security Council committee considering an application by the Palestinian Authority to become a full UN member “was unable to make a unanimous recommendation” on whether it met the criteria, according to the committee report seen by Reuters today.

The Palestinian Authority is still expected to push the 15-member Security Council to vote — as early as this week — on a draft resolution recommending it become a full member of the world body, diplomats say.

Such membership would effectively recognize a Palestinian state. The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the 193-member UN General Assembly in 2012.

But an application to become a full UN member needs to be approved by the Security Council — where Israel’s ally the United States can block it — and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.

The Security Council committee on the admission of new members — made up of all 15 council members — agreed to its report today after meeting twice last week to discuss the Palestinian application.

“Regarding the issue of whether the application met all the criteria for membership… the committee was unable to make a unanimous recommendation to the Security Council,” the report says, adding that “differing views were expressed.”

UN membership is open to “peace-loving states” that accept the obligations in the founding UN Charter and are able and willing to carry them out.

Times Of Israel

Day 193 — Tuesday, April 16

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi warned Monday that Iran’s missile and drone attack on the country a day earlier, which caused slight damage to an airbase, “will be met with a response.”

The comments were made as he met soldiers at the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, where four Iranian ballistic missiles struck during the attack early Sunday. It came hours after the war cabinet met to decide on an Israeli response.

“Iran wanted to harm the strategic capabilities of the State of Israel — that is something that had not happened before. We were prepared for the ‘Iron Shield’ operation — preparation that brought Iran to also encounter aerial superiority,” he said, referring to the effort to counter the Iran blitz by its military code name.

“We are looking ahead, we are considering our steps, and this launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs into the territory of the State of Israel will be met with a response,” he added.

In a separate English-language video statement, Halevi said the attack had “created new opportunities for cooperation in the Middle East” and that “Iran will face the consequences for its actions.”

“Over the weekend, Iran launched a large-scale attack on Israel. Over 350 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, armed drones, and rockets were fired from Iranian soil — as well as Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon — towards the State of Israel,” he said.

“Across the skies of the Middle East — a coalition was activated to counter this attack, marking the start of the IDF’s Operation: ‘Iron Shield,’” Halevi continued.

“The Israel Defense Forces — together with the United States Central Command; the British Armed Forces; the French Armed Forces, and other partners — operated together in real-time — in the air, on the ground, and at sea,” he said.

“Defense systems were activated; the threats were intercepted — and Iran’s attack on Israel failed. Operation Iron Shield proved the strength of our iron-clad cooperation,” Halevi said.

Halevi said he thanks “all our international partners who stood up to Iran’s aggression. Iran’s attack has created new opportunities for cooperation in the Middle East.”

“We are closely assessing the situation. We remain at our highest level of readiness. Iran will face the consequences for its actions. We will choose our response accordingly. The IDF remains ready to counter any threat from Iran and its terror proxies, as we continue our mission to defend the State of Israel,” he added.

Times Of Israel

Day 193 — Tuesday, April 16

There were shocking scenes on the streets of New York City on Monday as Palestinian activists set fire to an American flag being held by Israel supporters while chanting ‘Death to America!’ right under the noses of the NYPD.

There were audible gasps as the Stars and Stripes being held by a pro-Israel counter-protestor was set alight and then waved in the air – as bright yellow flames could be seen coming from the flag. 

Police officers stationed at the protest outside the New York Stock Exchange could be seen wrestling the flag and stamping out the fire as it was brought to the ground.

Police officers appeared oblivious to what was happening right in front of them and in video footage appears to have little drive to chase down the man who shouted the offending phrase.  

The shocking sights were part of a day of planned protest across the country that saw activists block the Brooklyn Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and roads to the Chicago O’Hare Airport in a coordinated attempt to bring America to its knees and cause maximum inconvenience. 

Outside Brooklyn Borough Hall, another protester burned an American flag to cinders amid cheers of jubilation on Monday. In the background, a man chants: ‘America falls today. America falls now. America will forever fall.’ 

On Monday afternoon, more anti-Israel protestors took to the Brooklyn Bridge and were seen walking through traffic, chanting, banging drums and igniting flares. 

New York Police made numerous arrests, saying 150 protesters were initially involved in the march around 3:15pm, but that number quickly grew. The bridge was fully reopened by 5pm.

Pro-Palestinian protesters used Monday’s tax day as a way to make a statement in a nationwide ‘A15’ protest.

The economic blockade was scheduled in solidarity with Palestine and called for an arms embargo and an end to US taxpayer funding for Israel. 

Other protests broke out on Monday morning on a Philadelphia intersection and on Highway 880 in Oakland, California.

Daily Mail

Day 192 — Monday, April 15

Four soldiers were wounded, one of them seriously, in a blast that occurred as troops operated several hundred meters inside Lebanese territory overnight, the Israel Defense Forces said Monday morning. The Hezbollah terror group took responsibility for the explosion on the border.

The cause of the blast that wounded the soldiers in the western region of the border with Lebanon was under investigation by the military, which said in a statement that the explosion was of “unknown origin.”

The military said the incident took place during “operational activity” carried out by troops of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit and the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, on the Lebanese side of the border, several hundred meters from Israel’s fence.

One soldier was seriously wounded, two were listed in moderate condition, and another was lightly hurt, according to the IDF. The troops were taken by helicopter from Lebanese territory to a hospital in Israel.

Claiming the blast, Hezbollah said it placed several explosive devices adjacent to the border, inside Lebanese territory, in an area across from the northern Israeli community of Adamit.

The terror group said the bombs were detonated as the Israeli troops crossed the frontier.

Also overnight, the IDF said fighter jets struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon.

The targets included rocket launch posts, buildings used by the terror group, and other infrastructure in Seddiqine, Matmoura, Labbouneh, and Ayta ash-Shab, according to the military.

Troops also shelled areas near Ayta ash-Shab with artillery to “remove threats,” the army added.

Since October 8, Hezbollah has attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a daily basis with rockets, drones, anti-tank missiles and other means, saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there. The group is an Iranian proxy in Lebanon, and Palestinian terror groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are backed by Iran.

Israel has threatened to go to war to force Hezbollah away from the border if it does not retreat and continues to threaten northern communities, from where some 70,000 people were evacuated to avoid the fighting.

Times Of Israel

Day 192 — Monday, April 15

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of instigating the conflict in Gaza to undermine progress in reaching a normalization agreement between Riyadh and Jerusalem.

In an interview with Israeli public broadcaster Kan News on Sunday, a source from the royal family also said that Tehran promotes terrorism and suggested that Riyadh played a role in thwarting Saturday night’s drone and missile attack against Israel by the Islamic Republic and its proxies.

Notably, a recap of the interview is published prominently on the House of Saud website, which covers the royal family.

“Iran is a nation that endorses terrorism, and the world should have curtailed it much earlier,” the Saudi royal said.

In its first-ever direct attack on the Jewish state, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles on Saturday night, with the vast majority of them intercepted by Israel and allied militaries. The Kan interview appears to be the first Saudi acknowledgment that it helped fend off the attack, along with the United States, United Kingdom, Jordan and France.

JNS

Day 192 — Monday, April 15

A senior Iranian general with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike at the beginning of April had reportedly been involved in the “planning and execution” of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The Iranian Coalition Council of Islamic Revolution Forces, which has ties to the “supreme leader” of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a letter on April 3 showing “mourning and appreciation” for Mohammad Reza Zahedi, according to the U.S.-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). This letter was translated by MEMRI.

“The strategic role of the martyr Zahedi in consolidating and strengthening the resistance front, and in the planning and execution of Al-Aqsa Flood, are part of the great pride that will transform the quiet efforts of this great commander into the eternal history of the struggle against the occupation by the Zionist regime,” the Iranian group wrote, according to the MEMRI translation.

Operation Al-Aqsa Flood is the name used to refer to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack in which roughly 1,200 Israelis were left dead, and more than 200 people were taken as hostages.

Zahedi, who had been the IRGC’s Commander of the Quds Force’s Unit 18000, was killed on April 1, along with six other senior Iranian military officials after Israel launched an airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria. Additionally, Zahedi had also previously commanded the IRGC’s Air Force and the Imam Hussein Division.

Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles at Israel on Saturday night in retaliation for Israel’s airstrike.

Khamenei previously denied that Tehran was behind Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.

Breitbart

Day 192 — Monday, April 15

Iran’s foreign ministry on Sunday summoned the ambassadors of Britain, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their “irresponsible stance” regarding Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel, Reuters reported, citing Iranian media.

The three European countries condemned Iran’s drone and missile attack against Israel, which went through Saturday night into Sunday and were in retaliation for a bombing of the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1, which has been blamed on Israel.

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné also confirmed that French forces assisted in intercepting the Iranian attack on Israel, saying, “We did what we needed to do.”

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he condemned, “in the strongest terms,” Iran’s attack on Israel in a call with Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian.

“I made clear that Iran must stop these reckless attacks, de-escalate, and release the MSC Aries,” Cameron noted.

Later, the director for Western Europe at Iran’s foreign ministry accused the three countries of “double standards”, noting they opposed earlier this month a Russian-drafted UN Security Council statement that would have condemned the alleged Israeli attack in Syria.

Arutz Sheva

Day 192 — Monday, April 15

Just hours after the unprecedented Iranian missile and drone attack against Israel, top Iranian military leaders threatened to launch even larger attacks if the Jewish state decides to launch a counterstrike.

“Our response will be much larger than tonight’s military action if Israel retaliates against Iran,” the head of the Iranian military, Maj.-Gen. Mohammad Bagheri warned.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF), the United States and other allies successfully neutralized about 99% of the 300 missiles and drones Tehran fired toward Israel in the early morning hours on Sunday

Bagheri further warned the U.S. that Iran would attack U.S. military bases in the Middle East if Washington took part in facilitating an Israeli counterstrike on Iranian soil.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi issued a similar threat towards Israel and its allies, primarily the United States.

“If the Zionist regime (Israel) or its supporters demonstrate reckless behavior, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response,” Raisi warned.

While Washington, London and other allies supported Israel in thwarting the unprecedented Iranian aggression on Israeli soil, they simultaneously feared that a strong Israeli military response could escalate the conflict with Iran.

Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war for decades, however, it was mostly Israel versus Iranian proxies and some IRGC elements. However, Saturday evening marked the first time that the ayatollah regime launched a direct attack from its territory against Israel.

IRGC Commander Hossein Salami indicated a shift in strategy when he stated that Saturday’s attack has created a “new equation.” He warned that Iran would launch similar attacks from its territory in response to any future Israeli military actions that threaten Iranian interests in the Middle East and beyond.

Iran has built a “circle of fire” with terror militias surrounding Israel with terror proxies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

Israel has responded by targeting many of these Iranian-backed terror groups including IRGC officers commanding them.

All Israel News 

Day 191 — Sunday, April 14

Following Iran’s recent attack involving hundreds of drones and missiles, President Isaac Herzog declared that Israel is “considering all options” to ensure the protection and defense of its people.

While emphasizing that Israel is not seeking war, Herzog characterized the attack as a “declaration of war” and underscored the need for a firm response to Iranian aggression.

While expressing Israel’s restraint and ongoing dialogue with international partners, Herzog stressed that all options are being considered to address the threat posed by Iran. He reiterated that Israel’s primary objective is the protection and defense of its people and reiterated that the country is not seeking to escalate the conflict into full-scale war.

Herzog condemned Iran’s pattern of behavior, describing the attack as another example of the regime’s efforts to sow chaos, terror, and instability globally. He called on the international community to confront what he referred to as the “evil empire” in Tehran and to send a clear message to the Iranian regime that such actions will not be tolerated.

The Israeli president’s remarks reflect the seriousness with which Israel views the Iranian threat and its determination to respond appropriately to ensure the safety and security of its citizens. While advocating for a firm stance against Iran, Herzog also emphasized the importance of international solidarity in addressing the broader challenge posed by the Iranian regime.

i24 News

Day 191 — Sunday, April 14

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, spoke on Sunday at a discussion of the UN Security Council, which convened at Erdan’s request to discuss Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel.

In his remarks, Erdan demanded that the Security Council condemn Iran and showed the video in which Iranian missiles are seen intercepted over Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

“From the moment I began my tenure here, in every speech and in countless letters, I rang the warning bell regarding Iran. I called on this Council to take concrete action against the Ayatollah regime,” said Erdan.

“I made it clear that Iran and its hegemonic ambitions of global domination must be stopped before it drives the world to a point of no return: to a regional war that can escalate to a world war,” he continued.

“Sadly,” the Israeli Ambassador continued, “no action was taken. And last night, the world witnessed an unprecedented escalation that serves as the clearest proof for what happens when warnings aren’t heeded. Israel is not the boy who cried wolf. We have been screaming from the rooftops for years, trying to wake up the international community, but to no avail.”

“If only this Council would have internalized my words, it would not have needed the bone rattling explosions of last night’s attack to wake it up.”

Erdan continued by saying that “Iran proved again that it cares nothing for Islam or Muslims” with its attack on Saturday night.

“The Iranian attack seriously injured Amina al-Hassouni, a seven-year-old Bedouin girl in Israel. But look at this video that shows how Israel intercepts Iranian drones above the Temple Mount and Al-Aqsa Mosque,” he said, before showing the video to those present.

“To Iran, Israel’s annihilation and igniting the region is more important than Islamic holy sites. The Ayatollah regime, in its plot to impose a global Shia hegemony through its proxies, has even attacked Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and anyone else they view as an obstacle.”

Erdan noted that “while this direct Iranian attack on Israel was the first of its kind, it is just the most recent chapter in a blood-soaked saga that started from the moment the Islamic revolution reared its head.”

“The Ayatollah regime has a clear plan: its goal has been and continues to be world domination by exporting its radical Shia revolution across the globe. The Islamic regime of today is no different than the Third Reich. And Ayatollah Khamenei is no different than Adolf Hitler,” he said, adding, “Hitler’s Third Reich was envisioned to be a thousand-year empire stretching across continents, just as Khamenei envisions his radical Shia hegemony to stretch across the region and beyond.”

Erdan warned that “the Ayatollah regime acts like the Nazi regime, and their army includes Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Revolutionary Guard, and other savage Jihadists. Instead of shouting ‘Sieg Heil,’ these radical Nazi Islamists scream, ‘Death to Israel! Death to America! Death to England!’ Just like the Nazi regime, the Ayatollah regime sows death and destruction everywhere it touches.”

“Why have you instead rolled out the red-carpet for these genocidal Jihadists? Why do you treat them as if they are interested in de-escalation when you know that the opposite is true?” he asked.

“Iran has attacked Israel from its own sovereign territory – publicly and proudly. The mask is off. Iran, the number-one global sponsor of terror, has exposed its true face as the destabilizer of the region and the world. And now – right now – is when the world must stop ignoring Iran’s crimes and take action,” said Erdan.

Arutz Sheva

Day 191 — Sunday, April 14

Israel’s airspace reopened on Sunday morning following an unprecedented direct attack by Iran during the overnight hours that saw over 300 drones and missiles fired at the Jewish state.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held an operational situation assessment on Sunday morning with other senior security officials. He praised the coordinated defensive response to the attack, which stopped the vast majority of the missiles and drones, but warned the public to remain vigilant as the campaign continues.

“Overnight, the whole world saw the true face of Iran—a terrorist state that attacked the State of Israel from a distance of 1,500 kilometers [932 miles] and in doing so also attempted to employ all of its proxies,” said Gallant. “On the other hand, the world also saw the power of a coalition, and how Israel, together with the United States and additional partners, stood together and thwarted this attack in a way that is unparalleled,” he added.

The State of Israel was attacked with “hundreds” of missiles and drones, which the Israel Defense Forces stopped “in an impressive manner,” he said.

“Together with the United States and additional partners, we managed to defend the territory of the State of Israel. Very little damage was caused—this is the result of the IDF’s impressive operations,” said Gallant.

“The campaign is not over yet—we must remain alert and attentive to the instructions published by the IDF and Homefront Command. We must be prepared for every scenario. Having said this, we have thwarted the most significant wave [of the attack], and we did so successfully,” he continued.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden following deliberations by the security war cabinets overnight Saturday.

A government meeting scheduled for Sunday was nixed as Israel coordinates its response to the Iranian attack.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday morning praised Israel’s resilience.

“Bless you dear soldiers and commanders of the IDF and IAF. Bless the coalition of nations led by the US and @POTUS. Bless my sisters and brothers, the people of Israel, for their exceptional show of resilience. Together, the forces of good will overcome the forces of evil. Am Yisrael Chai!” Herzog tweeted.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday morning called for a “crushing attack” on the regime in Tehran.

“Impressive defense so far—now we need a crushing attack,” the minister tweeted.

While Israeli airspace reopened on Sunday morning, Air France and KLM have announced that they are canceling flights to and from Tel Aviv. The Iranian attack threw flight schedules into disarray, stranding passengers across the world.

Jordan also opened its airspace on Sunday morning after Amman assisted in thwarting the Iranian attack by shooting down drones and missiles over its territory. The United States and the United Kingdom also helped fend off the attack.

JNS

Day 191 — Sunday, April 14

At 7:15 a.m. IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari said that 99% of the aerial threats were shot down, which he said was a strategic achievement.

Zero of the close to 200 drones and zero of the 30 cruise missiles got through to Israeli territory at all.

25 of the 30 cruise missiles were shot down by Israel.

Of 130 ballistic missiles, only a small number got through.

Hagari noted that Yemen was involved in the attack, with US reports that America shot down around 70 aerial attacks using naval and aerial power.

The censor permitted publishing that the base which had minor hits was Nebatim in the desert, a key base for the F-35. Israel also published photos and video which it said were showing Nebatim air base still fully functioning despite the minor hits.

Hagari also alluded to Jordan’s assistance along with that of its other allies.

Jerusalem Post

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Airlines canceled flights to and from Israel as the country fended off a barrage of missile and drone attacks from Iran on Saturday.

Israel prepared for the missile and drone attacks by closing its airspace to both domestic and international airlines starting at 12:30 a.m. Sunday local time.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, United Airlines said that it canceled Saturday’s flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport, in Tel Aviv, Israel. 

Fox News

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, sent urgent letter to the President of the UN Security Council and demanded an urgent meeting of the Council following the Iranian attack on Israel.

Erdan demanded that the Security Council criticize Iran for the attack on Israel and declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organization.

“Six months after Hamas’ brutal terror attack on October 7, I wish to express my outrage regarding the attack against the State of Israel by the Iranian regime, which once again undermines Security Council resolutions, fosters instability, and poses a grave threat to international peace and security. Today, Iran has launched a direct attack from within its territory of more than 200 UAVs, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles towards Israel in clear violation of the UN Charter and international law. Iran has also publicly taken pride in the attack. The attack is a severe and dangerous escalation,” Erdan wrote.

“Iran continues to violate its international obligations, evidenced by today’s attack on Israel in violation of Security Council resolution 2231 (2015), and by accelerating the pace of its weapons transfers to Hezbollah in violation of Security Council Resolution 1701. Iran has been the architect of instability for years, through Hamas, the Houthis, Hezbollah and other proxies. But it is now standing front and center in its actions to fulfill its ambition to attack Israel,” he added.

“These attacks on Israel are part of a dangerous trend of deterioration as reflected in my various letters to you over the past years, posing a concrete threat to the peace and security of the entire region. Israel has warned the international community of Iran’s aspirations, beyond its terror activities and support of terror proxies, including the funding and arming of both Hamas and Hezbollah. The Iranian attack follows the seizure of a Portuguese civilian cargo ship by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.”

“The gravity and volume of the attacks are unprecedented, and are a flagrant violation of Israel’s sovereignty, of international law, and of Security Council resolutions. Iran poses a direct threat to international peace, and brazenly violates the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions. The time has come for the Security Council to take concrete action against the Iranian threat,” wrote Ambassador Erdan.

“I confirm Israel’s request to convene a meeting of the Security Council immediately to unequivocally condemn Iran for these grave violations and immediately act to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization,” he added.

Later on Saturday night, it was announced that the Security Council had agreed to Erdan’s request and would convene on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. New York time.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote on social media earlier, “I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by Iran.”

“I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities. Neither the region nor the world can afford another war,” he added.

Arutz Sheva

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

A short while ago, dozens of surface-to-surface missile launches from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory. The IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted the majority of the launches using the “Arrow” Aerial Defense System, together with Israel’s strategic allies, before the launches crossed into Israeli territory. A small number of hits were identified, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, where minor damage was caused to infrastructure.

Over the past few hours, many dozens of hostile aircraft, as well as dozens of cruise missiles, from Iran were identified approaching Israeli territory and intercepted. Dozens of IAF fighter jets are currently operating to intercept all aerial threats approaching Israeli territory.

The IDF is deployed on all fronts, prepared, and continuing to defend Israeli territory.

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Israel is being attacked from all sides as Iran and its proxies launched hundreds of suicide drones, ballistic missiles, and rockets at the Jewish state.

It is Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel, and photos emerged Saturday night of Iranians celebrating in Tehran.

U.S. officials anticipate Iran will launch approximately 500 drones and missiles from within the Islamic Republic — as well as from proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, ABC News reports.

The overwhelming attack also differentiates the massive size difference between the longtime enemies. While Israel has more than 8 million people, the population of Iran is believed to be over 89 million — more than 10 times.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a statement after the drones were launched, declaring, “The malicious Zionist regime will be punished.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation, saying the country was preparing for a direct attack, and will respond accordingly.

New York Post

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Erick Stakelbeck, host of the Watchman Newscast, is reporting, based on his sources close to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, that Jordan and Saudi Arabia are taking part in the interception of projectiles bound for Israel from Iran.

“The US, the UK, and France are assisting Israel in intercepting these incoming projectiles,” he described. “Hundreds of attack drones and dozens of ballistic missiles have been launched from Iran proper—from Iranian soil.”

“But here is the interesting wrinkle… Jordan and Saudi Arabia are reportedly also contributing and helping shoot down these incoming projectiles,” Stakelbeck explained. “That’s a big deal to have to sunni arab nations basically alongside Israel against the Iranian axis.”

“Right now, the ‘ring of fire’ has ignited,” he warned. “The Houthis to the south have opened fire. Hezbollah to the north has opened fire. Shite militias in Iraq and Syria are also right now in real-time on Israel. The only silver lining here is that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have been smashed so severely that I don’t expect much to come out of Gaza in this engagement.”

“Let’s pray for the ultimate ‘Iron Dome,’ the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to cover His land and His people right now like never before,” he urged.

HD STAFF

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

The Nation Israel is under attack from the nation of Iran.

As American evangelicals, we want our Jewish friends to know that we stand behind the Jewish homeland and her people. This attack is on the heels of the horrific attack from Hamas, which is a proxy of Iran on Israel on October 7th.

We pray that God almighty would protect Israel at this hour and we are to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem”. (Psalm 122:6)

One of the signs of the end time is an increase in anti-Semitism and the increasing isolation of the state of Israel. We are certainly seeing that happen before our very eyes.

Greg Laurie

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

US official tells Fox News that U.S. military is continuing to shoot down Iranian drones that are headed toward Israel.

“U.S. forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel. Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region,” a U.S. military official said.

The shooting down comes hours after Iran launched drones, and later ballistic missiles, in retaliation for a deadly strike on its Syrian consulate earlier this month.

Fox News

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Israel is defending its airspace against Iranian drones and missiles – launched in what Tehran has described as a retaliatory strike.

RAF jets were also involved in the defence of Israel on Saturday evening, Sky News understands, while US planes have reportedly downed Iranian drones over northern Syria.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency war cabinet to discuss the situation late on Saturday night, while in Washington, US President Joe Biden also held an emergency meeting with top officials.

Across Israel, the military sounded sirens in multiple locations in southern areas as well as in parts of the West Bank, an alert app showed.

Sky News correspondent Alex Rossi, in Jerusalem, said he had heard “explosions” and seen “what look like air defence interception systems”.

Sky News

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says its medics are treating a 7-year-old girl in southern Israel who was wounded by shrapnel following the interception of an Iranian drone over the area.

The girl, from a Bedouin town near Arad, is listed in serious condition, MDA says.

She has been taken to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba.

Times Of Israel

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a new video statement says Iran has fired missiles at Israel, while “numerous” fighter jets are in the sky readying to counter Tehran’s attacks.

“A short while ago, Iran launched missiles from its territory toward the territory of the State of Israel,” Hagari says.

He says Israel’s air defense array is “fully operational and is intercepting threats wherever required, even at this very moment. ”

“At this time, numerous IAF planes are in the air, ready to counter any threat,” Hagari says.

“You may hear explosions from interceptions or debris falling. Since there are a variety of threats, the alerts may be issued across wide areas,” he continues.

He urges the public to “refrain from spreading unverified rumors and reports.”

Times Of Israel

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

The IDF is reporting that sirens are sounding in southern Israel, the area of the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, and Northern Israel amid mass drone attack by Iran.

IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, shortly ago stated in an update, “I remind you that know matter where the threat is launched from, when an alarm sounds you must enter the shelter and wait therefor no less than ten minutes”

“We are strong and capable of handling this event,” he continued. “The IDF will do whatever it takes to protect the citizens of the State of Israel.”

HD STAFF

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday evening published an announcement, in light of Iran’s increasing hostility towards Israel.

“Citizens of Israel, in recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran,” he said.

“Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong.

“We appreciate the US standing alongside Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries.”

Netanyahu continued, “We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination.”

“Citizens of Israel, I know that you also are also level-headed. I call on you to follow the directives of IDF Home Front Command. Together we will stand and with God’s help – together we will overcome all of our enemies.”

Arutz Sheva

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

Almost immediately after the Iranian regime launched at least 100 killer drones at Israel from Iranian soil, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan declared a state of emergency.

Jordan has closed its airspace to all flights.

It is also scrambling military assets to protect Jordanian civilians from any Iranian drones or missiles that might fall short of Israel and accidentally hit Jordan.

All Israel News 

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a press statement confirms that dozens of drones launched from Iran are heading toward Israel.

He says the Israeli Air Force is tracking the drones, while noting that they will take several hours to reach the country.

Hagari says there will be GPS disruptions as the military works to intercept the drones.

If there are any additional attacks, that require a separate warning, Hagari says the IDF will update the public.

Sirens will only sound if the drones enter Israeli airspace, at the relevant locations, Hagari says. He says the IDF will work to intercept the targets as early as possible.

Channel 12 says the US was the first to identify the launch and immediately notified Israel.

The IDF in a statement says the military is tracking all of the drones launched at Israel from Iran.

“A short while ago, Iran launched unmanned aerial vehicles from its territory towards the territory of the State of Israel,” the statement says.

“The air defense array is on high alert at the same time as the Air Force planes and Navy ships that are on a mission to protect the country’s skies,” it continues.

“The IDF is monitoring all targets,” the military says.

“Together with our partners, the IDF is operating at full force to defend the State of Israel—and the people of Israel. This is a mission that we are determined and ready to fulfill.”

IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on the current attack from Iran: pic.twitter.com/rjNqLPFs9X
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 13, 2024

Times Of Israel

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

After over 40 rocket launches from Lebanon crossed into Israeli territory on Friday, the IDF responded by striking the sources of fire, the military stated.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the launches. No injuries were reported in Israel as a result of the rocket fire.

This rocket fire comes after nearly 48 hours of quiet on the northern front, raising suspicion at a time when the threat from Iran is at the forefront of people’s minds.

IDF spokesperson R-Adm. Daniel Hagari, during a public briefing, said, “I emphasize that at this stage, there is no change in the Home Front Command’s instructions. If there is a change, we will update you immediately. It is right to say that the coming days require us to be alert and prepared. I know this situation raises many questions, and therefore, we will keep updating the public regularly. All instructions for conduct during an alert and emergency situation are detailed on the Home Front Command website.”

Additionally, the IDF reported that Israeli jets had struck Hezbollah military compounds in the southern Lebanon area of Ayta ash Shab in which terrorists were operating. Another Hezbollah compound in the area of Taybeh was also reportedly struck.

Jerusalem Post

Day 190 — Saturday, April 13

The US Defense Department is moving additional assets to the Middle East region “to bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for US forces,” a US defense official told CNN on Friday, as Israel and the US brace for a potential Iranian attack.

The White House said that there remains a “real,” “credible” and “viable” threat of Iran launching strikes in retaliation for the attack attributed to Israel on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria last week that killed three Iranian generals.

“We’re watching this very, very closely,” said John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, who declined to provide information about the expected timing of the threat.

The US is not anticipating that Iran or its proxies will attack US forces as part of its retaliation but is moving the assets just in case, according to CNN.

“It would be imprudent if we didn’t take a look at our own posture in the region to make sure that we’re properly prepared,” Kirby said.

CBS News reported on Friday, citing two US officials, that an Iranian attack against Israel is expected to occur as soon as Friday and may include more than 100 drones and dozens of missiles aimed at military targets inside the country.

The officials said it would be challenging for the Israelis to defend against an attack of such a magnitude and while they held out the possibility that the Iranians could opt for a smaller-scale attack to avoid a dramatic escalation, their retaliation was believed to be imminent.

Arutz Sheva