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.
Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Rear
Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Sunday that Israel is “preparing plans for
the continuation, discussing alternatives and will do everything
necessary to protect the citizens of the State of Israel. The IDF is
fully qualified tonight and today and for the continuation of the
missions ahead.”
Hagari said that Israel intercepted 99% of
the threats, calling it a “significant strategic achievement” and
noting that none of the 170 drones that Iran launched penetrated Israeli
territory. They were shot down by fighter jets, the air defense array
and defense systems of allied countries.
Additionally, Hagari noted that some
missiles penetrated the Nevatim Airbase in the Negev desert, causing
minor damage. The base continues to function.
Earlier, Gallant spoke with his U.S.
counterpart Lloyd Austin about the Iranian attack, thanking him for
standing with Israel and emphasizing that the defense establishment was
prepared for any further attacks on the Jewish state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden following deliberations by the security war cabinets overnight Saturday.
Biden reportedly told Netanyahu that
Israel should see its defense against Iran’s attack as a “win” and that
Washington wouldn’t participate in an attack on Iran.
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.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for a “crushing attack” on the regime in Tehran.
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.
Meanwhile, foreign governments continued
to express condemnation of the Iranian assault, with Tokyo stating that,
“Japan is very concerned about this attack, which will further
exacerbate the current situation in the Middle East, and strongly
condemns this escalation.”
Doha, Hamas’s patron, which has been
mediating hostage release discussions, said, “Qatar expresses its
concern about the developments in the region and calls on all parties to
stop the escalation and exercise restraint.” The foreign ministry added
that “we call on the international community to take urgent action to
relieve tension and reduce escalation. We renew Qatar’s commitment to
assist all regional and international efforts aimed at achieving
regional and international security and stability.”
Iran
fired more than 300 missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from its
territory toward Israel on Saturday night, in what Tehran says was
retaliation for the April 1 killing of several IRGC officers in Syria by Israel.
1 comment:
Far as I am concerned Iran should be a parking lot.
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