Israel says the Iranian attack has been “thwarted”
In the early morning of Sunday (April 14), loud bangs and air defense sirens sounded across Israel as Iran launched more than 300 drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles toward Israel. After a wave of attacks, the Israeli military stated that Iran’s attacks had been “thwarted” and that 99% of the drones and missiles were successfully intercepted by Israel’s multi-layered air defense system.
Israeli military spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari made the remarks in a televised statement on Sunday, calling the result a “major strategic success.”
Hagari said that Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles. Neither drones nor cruise missiles entered Israeli territory, and “only a few” ballistic missiles fell into the territory. One of the missiles caused minor damage to the Nevatim air base in the south, but no one was injured, and the base “remains operational.”
According to the Israeli emergency medical agency, Magen David Adom, a 7-year-old child in southern Israel was affected and injured and has been sent to the hospital for emergency treatment.
This is the first time Iran has launched a direct military attack on Israel, pushing the situation in the Middle East to the brink of regional war.
The US military is assisting Israel in intercepting incoming drones and missiles, and Washington has promised to convene allies to develop a unified response plan.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday (April 14) that Israel would prevail. “We intercept, we repel, we are united, and we will win,” Netanyahu said in a post on X.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a video statement on Sunday that Israel had repelled the first wave of Iranian drone and missile attacks against it, but the confrontation was not over yet.
Galante said Israel had successfully thwarted a major Iranian attack, praising the IDF’s defense and cooperation with the United States and other partners.
At the same time, Galante warned, “The confrontation is not over yet. We must remain vigilant and prepare for all eventualities.”
Earlier, the Israeli military said, “This large-scale attack by Iran is a major escalation.” When asked whether Israel would respond, Hagari said the military “will take all necessary actions to protect Israel now and in the future.”
Iran called the attack “Operation Honest Commitment” in retaliation for the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1. The air strike killed seven members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, including two senior generals. Iran accused Israel of the attack, which Israel neither confirmed nor denied.
Although Iran announced that its retaliatory actions were over, Israel remained on alert, and dozens of Israeli warplanes were still in the sky.
“At my direction, and in support of Israel’s defense, the U.S. military has deployed aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the past week,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement. “Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skills of our service members, we have helped Israel shoot down nearly all incoming drones and missiles.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin said in a separate statement that U.S. forces in the Middle East “intercepted dozens of missiles and drones aimed at Israel from Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.”
Israel and Iran have had tense relations since a war broke out between Israel and Hamas last October. The Lebanese Hezbollah, supported by Iran, began exchanging fire with Israel’s northern border forces shortly after the Israel-Kazakhstan war, and the Houthi armed forces in Yemen, supported by Iran, attacked Red Sea merchant ships on the grounds of supporting Hamas.
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