As a result of the Iranian attack, Israel has taken a number of protective measures. Schools remain closed and large gatherings are prohibited.
Tel Aviv/Tehran – At 1:54 a.m. (local time) air alarms sounded in many places in southern Israel after Iran directly attacked the Jewish state militarily for the first time in the long-simmering conflict between the two countries. A little later, the alarm spread to the rest of the country. The military bullets fired by Iran could also be seen in the night sky in the capital Tel Aviv.
According to media reports, more than 300 projectiles were fired at Israel - including 185 drones, 110 surface-to-surface missiles and 36 cruise missiles. However, 99 percent of them were successfully repelled, Israel Defense Forces Commander-in-Chief Daniel Hagari told the
Times of Israel
.
At the same time, Israel was also attacked from Lebanon, apparently by the Hezbollah militia. Hezbollah is known for supporting Iran as part of the so-called Axis of Resistance. Rocket fire was also reported in areas in Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels there.
“As you can see, the city is empty, everyone is running home.”
In Jerusalem, too, attacks by Iran and its allies forced residents to seek shelter in the city's bunkers. As the
Times of Israel
reports, explosions were heard throughout the city, turning Jerusalem's skyline red.
"As you can see, the city is empty, everyone is running home," Eliyahu Barakat, who owns a grocery store in Jerusalem's Mamilla district, told AFP on Sunday
.
He usually closes his shop at 1 a.m., but he will now keep it open because the city's residents are dependent on emergency food supplies in an exceptional case like this.
Amid concerns about an Iranian retaliation for the attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1, which was attributed to Israel, the government of Israel had already published protection instructions for its civilian population shortly before the attack began. IDF Rear Admiral Hagari called on the population to seek safety. In a televised address on Saturday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized that Israel was prepared for a “direct attack from Iran.” “Our defense systems are operational, we are prepared for any scenario, both in defense and in attack.”
Schools in Israel remain closed after Iran's attack - gatherings are also banned
Israel's government also decided on a number of measures to protect the population. All educational institutions in the country will remain closed and all beaches will remain closed in the coming days. Larger gatherings were also banned. A Jerusalem resident told
AFP
he expected his family's daily routine to be disrupted for several days as a result of the Iranian military strike.
Like Israel, neighboring Jordan also closed its airspace in the evening. Both countries have now reopened their airspace. The German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, called on all Germans on site to follow the instructions of the security authorities.
According to the TV channel
Channel 12,
Israel's security cabinet authorized Prime Minister Netanyahu, War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz and Defense Minister Joav Galant to discuss decisions on Israel's further course of action regarding a response to the attack by Iran and its allies. The UN Security Council is planning a special session.
(fh/AFP)