99% of 300-plus projectiles fired by Iran at Israel were intercepted * US, UK, Jordan, France help stop drones * Israel reopens airspace * Mossad: Hamas rejected hostage deal proposal
An image grab from AFPTV footage shows Jordanian onlookers and security agents standing around the debris of a missile intercepted over Amman amid an unprecedented Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel, April 14, 2024 (Ahmad SHOURA / AFP)
Pictures released by the Israeli Air Force showing planes returning after intercepting the direct attack from Iran, April 14, 2024 (Israel Defense Forces)
Residents inspect the damage after an overnight rocket attack on Katsrin, Golan Heights on April 14, 2024 (Michael Giladi/ Flash90)
The Dome of the Rock atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City, with the lights of missile interceptions visible in the night sky, early on April 14, 2024, after Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel. (Social media/X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Passengers at the departure hall in the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on April 14, 2024 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
A surfer waits for wave while an Israeli military naval ship patrols the Mediterranean sea off the coast of Hadera, April 14, 2024 (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
US President Joe Biden meets with his national security team at the White House on April 13, 2024, as Iran targets Israel with missiles and drones. (White House)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes a meeting of the war cabinet in Tel Aviv early morning April 14, 2024. (Courtesy)
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Sunday’s events as they happen.
IDF confirms strike on Hezbollah ‘significant weapons manufacturing site’ in northeast Lebanon
The IDF confirms carrying out an airstrike earlier today in the Nabi Chit area, near northeastern Lebanon’s Baalbek.
The strike targeted a “significant weapons manufacturing site” belonging to Hezbollah, the military says.
The IDF says the strike comes as a response to some 40 rockets fired by Hezbollah at northern Israel amid the overnight Iranian attack.
Iran summons UK, France, Germany envoys over ‘irresponsible stance’ on Israel attack
Iran’s foreign ministry summons the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany to question what it referred to as their “irresponsible stance” regarding Tehran’s strikes on Israel, the semi-official Iranian Labour News Agency reports.
A number of nations helped to intercept the massive barrage of drones Iran fired at Israel overnight.
Russia urges all sides to ‘show restraint’ after Iranian drone, missile attack on Israel
Russia urges all sides to “show restraint” after Iran launched an unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel.
“We are counting on the regional states to solve the existing problems with political and diplomatic means,” the foreign ministry says in a statement.
Moscow expresses “extreme concern over the latest dangerous escalation in the region.”
It says it had warned numerous times that “the lack of resolution to numerous crises in the Middle East, primarily in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict” would “lead to growth in instability.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday held phone talks with Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The Russian foreign ministry said Lavrov reiterated “decisive condemnation” of an alleged Israeli strike in Syria earlier this month that killed Iranian generals.
Russia has previously condemned Israel’s conduct in its six-month war in Gaza against the Hamas terror group.
Moscow has traditionally tried to maintain relations with all major powers in the Middle East. But it has been strengthening military and political ties with Iran, with relations with Israel apparently weakening.
After Jordan downed dozens of Iranian drones, kingdom’s PM warns against regional escalation
Jordan’s Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh says any escalation in the region will lead to “dangerous paths” and says that there’s a need to reduce escalation by all parties.
In remarks to the cabinet, Khasawneh says the country’s armed forces will confront any attempt by any party that sought to endanger the kingdom’s security.
The staunch US ally’s air defenses intercepted and downed dozens of Iranian drones and missiles that flew over the country’s airspace in the direction of Israeli targets, security sources say.
Israelis flock to airport for Passover vacations; passenger numbers down as flights canceled after Iran attack
Undeterred by the overnight attack from Iran that saw Israeli airspace closed for a number of hours, Israelis flock to Ben Gurion Airport to take flights for the upcoming Passover holiday.
While today was expected to see some 52,000 passengers take 380 flights, the cancellations by a number of airlines means that only around 30,000 people will travel from the airport over the course of the day, financial outlet The Marker reports.
IDF denies Gazans allowed to return to north of Strip: ‘False reports, it remains a combat zone’
The Israel Defense Forces denies reports that residents are being allowed to return to north Gaza.
“Further to the reports that IDF forces are allowing the return of residents to the north of the Gaza Strip, these are false reports,” the military says in a statement.
“The IDF will not allow the return of residents either through the Salah A-Din axis or through the Rashid axis (the coast). The northern area of the Gaza Strip is still a combat zone and it will not be possible to return to it,” the military says.
7-year-old girl injured in Iranian missile attack undergoes surgery for major head wound
The 7-year-old girl who was seriously wounded during the interception of a missile fired from Iran last night underwent surgery for a major head wound, Soroka Medical Center says.
The girl, from a Bedouin town near Arad, is now in the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit.
Her injury occurred when shrapnel from the intercepted ballistic missile fell on her family’s home around 2 a.m.
Western nations condemn Iran attack on Israel, issue statements of solidarity
Numerous Western countries condemn Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile assault on Israel and express strong support for Israel following Tehran’s aerial bombardment Saturday night.
The US, the UK, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Norway, the Czech Republic, Argentina and Paraguay all condemn Iran’s attack, as do UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrel.
Several countries go even further, expressing solidarity with Israel or declaring their commitment to its security.
US President Joe Biden and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken both repeat their message that America’s commitment to Israel’s security against Iran is “ironclad,” while British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK would “continue to stand up for Israel’s security.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada “unequivocally condemns Iran’s airborne attacks against Israel,” adding, “We support Israel’s right to defend itself and its people from these attacks.”
Germany’s foreign minister expresses solidarity with Israel, as does Argentinan President Javier Milei whose office said it “expresses its solidarity and unwavering commitment to the State of Israel.”
An unnamed spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry says merely that “China expresses deep concern over the current escalation” and called on “relevant parties” to refrain from “further escalations.”
Chile’s foreign minister says the country “condemns the use of force” but does not explicitly condemn Iran, while Mexico’s foreign ministry “expresses deep concern over Iran’s attack” but likewise does not directly condemn Tehran.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says merely that the government is “following events in the Middle East with the deepest concern” and says its embassies will remain open “to support Spaniards in the area.”
Some Mideast airlines cancel, reroute flights after Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel
Major airlines across the Middle East announce the cancellation of some of their flights, while having to reroute others, after Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel.
Emirates Airlines cancels some of its fights, while Etihad Airways cancels services to Tel Aviv and Amman on Sunday.
“Some of our flights have been affected by the temporary closure of a number of airspaces in the region,” a statement from the United Arab Emirates’s Fly Dubai was quoted on state news agency WAM as saying.
The attack spurred similar announcements from Lebanon, Egypt and Kuwait following several Arab countries announcing the temporary closure of their airspaces.
Israeli airlines, meanwhile, said operations were returning to normal after Israel reopened its airspace as of 7:30 a.m. (0430 GMT).
Israeli, US jets downed dozens of Iranian drones over Syrian airspace – Western intelligence sources
Most of the Iranian drones flying over Syria’s airspace during Tehran’s strikes overnight were downed by Israeli and US jets before reaching their targets in Israel, two Western intelligence sources say.
They tell Reuters the aerial interceptions shot down dozens of missiles and drones fired by Iran that flew above southern Syria in the Deraa province, the Syrian Golan Heights and several locations in eastern Syria along the border with Iraq.
Content retrieved from: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-april-14-2024/.