JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
ISRAEL MUST ATTACK IRAN QUICK TONIGHT AND DROWN OUT THE TUNNELS IN GAZA.THEN ISRAEL MUST DEFEAT LEBANON, SYRIA, PART OF EGYPT, WEST BANK. TAKE OVER THESE LANDS LIKE GOD PROMISED THE LAND TO ISRAEL NOT THE ISHMAELITE COCKROACHES.
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences;(BIOLOGICAL/CHEMICAL/NUCLEAR) and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)
Leviticus 26:15-17 (KJV)
15-and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:
16-I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
17-And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.
Job 22:4-22 (KJV)
4-Will he reprove you for fear of you? will he enter with you into judgment?
5-Is not your wickedness great? and your iniquities without end?
6-For you have taken a pledge from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7-You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8-But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honorable man dwelt in it.
9-You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10-Therefore snares are round about you, and sudden fear troubles you;
11-Or darkness, that you can not see; and abundance of waters cover you.
12-Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13-And you say, How does God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
14-Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he sees not; and he walks in the circle of heaven.
15-Have you marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16-Who were cut down before their time, whose foundation was swept away with a flood:
17-Who said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do to us?
18-Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19-The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
20-Surely our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumes.
21-Acquaint now yourself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto you.
22-Receive, I pray you, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people.
Elam passed into the hands of the Persians" (A.H. Sayce). (IRAN)
Jeremiah 49:35-39
35-Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
36-And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
37-For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, [even] my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:
38-And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD.
39-But it shall come to pass in the latter days, [that] I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD.
Ezekiel 32:24
24-There [is] Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.
ISRAEL NEEDS TO RESPOND IMMEDIATELY AGAINST IRAN (HOPEFULLY TONIGHT APR 14TH, APR 15TH IN ISRAEL. BEFORE IRAN EXOSTS ISRAELS DEFENCES. ISRAEL SHOT OVER 1 BILLION IN ROCKETS AGAINST ISRANS CHEAP ROCKETS LAST NIGHT. THE IRANIAN CITIZENS ARE STOCKING UP ON FOOD AND WATER.AND TAKING THEIR MONEY OUT OF THE BANKS. AND THEIR AIRPORTS ARE CLOSED. THEY KNOW SOMETHING BIG IS GOING TO OCCUR AGAINST THEM FROM ISRAEL. WELL WE KNOW ONE OPTION OF ISRAEL IS TO GO AFTER IRANS 15 NUCLEAR SITES.ANOTHER OPTION IS GO AFTER IRANS DRONE MANUFACTURING SITES IF THEY KNOW WERE THEY ARE IN IRAN. THE BEST ONE IS TO BURN THE IRANIAN OIL FIELDS LIKE THE COUNTRIES DID IN THE GULF WAR. IF THE IRANIAN COCKROCHES OIL FIELDS ARE UP IN FLAMES. THE TERRORIST MONEY STOPS.ALSO HIT ALL THE IRANIAN DAMS WHICH WILL STOP THE FLOW OF WATER TO THE NUCLEAR PLANTS. ALSO ISRAEL MUST BUNKER BUSTERS IRANS MISSLE SILOS UNDER GROUND. THE ONLY THING MISSING FROM THE EZEKIEL 38-39 WAR IS-THAT RUSSIA NOT IRAN HAS TO LEAD THE COCKROCH ISLAMISTS AGAINST ISRAEL.IF RUSSIA STARTS STICKING UP FOR THE ISLAMISTS AGAINST ISRAEL. AND IF ALL THE ARAB MUSLIMS COUNTRIES GO TO RUSSIA FOR MEETINGS. THEN WE COULD EXPECT THE EZEKIEL 38-39 WAR TO OCCUR. GOD HIMSELF WILL THEN PUT A HOOK IN THE JAWS OF RUSSIA (PUTIN) TO TAKE THE OIL AND NATURAL GAS FROM ISRAEL. WHILE THE MUSLIMS WILL THEN GLADLY MARCH AGAINST ISRAEL.TO KILL EVERY JEW IN ISRAEL. ITS RUSSIA THAT NEEDS TO LEAD THE 300 MILLION MUSLIM, GERMAN, RUSSIAN ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL. HERES THE COUNTRIES THAT WILL MARCH AGAINST ISRAEL-RUSSIA (LEAD), GERMANY, IRAN, IRAQ, ETHIOPIA, LIBYA, YEMEN, SUDAN, TURKEY, ALGERIA, MOROCCO, SOMALIA AND OTHER SOUTH AFRICAN MUSLIM COUNTRIES. AND 85% OR 300 MILLION RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WILL BE LYING DEAD ON THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL. WERE GOD WILL SACRICE THE BODIES OF THIS RUSSIA, MUSLIM HOARD TO THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN ISRAEL RIGHT NOW TILL MAY OR JUNE.
Biden said to tell PM to 'think carefully and strategically'War cabinet said to favor hitting back at Iran but divided over when and how
Israeli official quoted insisting ‘there will be a response’ as top decision-making body ends talks on counterattack without reaching decision and US nudges Israel to think twice-By Jeremy Sharon-and Agencies 15 April 2024, 12:59 am
After over three hours of deliberations on Sunday afternoon, Israel’s five-person war cabinet did not reach a decision as to how the country would respond to Iran’s massive missile and drone barrage on Saturday night.Given several reports that the US is urging caution and that US President Joe Biden himself urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “think carefully and strategically,” the war cabinet suspended its discussions, but is expected to reconvene in short order, Channel 12 News reported.The Israel Hayom daily newspaper cited, however, an Israeli official as stating that “there will be a response,” while the NBC network quoted an official source in the Prime Minister’s Office as saying that while a decision has yet to be made, “the IDF will need to present options” and that “it is clear that Israel will respond.”Israeli officials cited by Reuters said that the war cabinet favors a retaliation against Iran, but is divided over the timing and scale of any such response.The war cabinet discussions come less than 24 hours after Iran launched an unprecedented assault against Israel in which it fired some 350 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones at Israel on Saturday night, 99% of which were successfully intercepted, the IDF said.According to multiple Hebrew media reports, in light of this massive salvo, war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz and his National Unity party colleague Gadi Eisenkot, an observer in the war cabinet, both proposed striking back at Iran while the Iranian attack was still underway.This suggestion was firmly opposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief Herzi Halevi, and others, Channel 12 news reported, in part because of the strain of undertaking simultaneous action, when the IAF was focused on intercepting Iran’s incoming missiles and drones.The Prime Minister’s Office denied the report, saying “the opposite was true,” although Channel 12 said it stood by the story, saying it had been confirmed by four sources.Subsequently, when the success of Israel’s air defense systems became evident and it was clear that the Iranian onslaught had caused little damage, and after Biden spoke with Netanyahu, the idea of an immediate Israeli response was set aside, both Channels 12 and 13 reported.In a separate, unsourced report, Channel 12 claimed that the US had not sought to veto any Israeli response, but that it told Israel it needed to know in advance and be coordinated, on any such reaction. The US has publicly made clear that it will not participate in any Israeli response.Channel 12 further claimed that Israel is trying to ascertain whether, in return for restraint, it can attain some kind of “strategic pact” with the US against Iran, without having to make commitments on matters such as the Palestinian issue.Earlier Sunday, Foreign Minister Israel Katz spoke with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné and thanked them for their support and assistance in thwarting the Iranian attack on Israel last night.“However, I emphasized: Israel, like any other country, is committed to defend its citizens,” said Katz in a post on X.“I told them — it’s your time to weaken the Iranian regime, to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organization, and to impose crippling sanctions on the Iranian missile project. Iran must pay a price,” he added.And the Foreign Ministry issued an official statement earlier in the day, stating that Israel has the right to self-defense following Iran’s massive aerial assault, and said that “Iran must pay a price for its aggression.”Jerusalem said the “initial price” must be the immediate recognition of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps — the massive paramilitary force which answers to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and which staged Saturday night’s attack — as a terror organization, as well as new sanctions against Iran, especially those targeting Tehran’s ballistic missile program.“Last night, a large-scale and unprecedented attack — consisting of hundreds of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles — was launched by Iran against the State of Israel,” said the ministry in a statement to the press.“This attack proves once again what Israel has been saying for years: Iran is the one behind the terrorist attacks in the region, and is also the greatest threat to regional stability and world order.”The Foreign Ministry noted that Iran-backed militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, all “supplemented” the Iranian attack with their own aerial assaults on Israel.“Just like any other country, Israel has the right to defend itself in the face of Iran’s massive attack. Israel successfully defended itself against Iran’s aggression and will continue to do so in the future,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Jordan, France, UK summon Iranian envoys over conduct surrounding Israel strike-Countries took part alongside Israel and US in successful interceptions overnight of drones and missiles launched by the Islamic Republic toward Israeli airspace-By Reuters, AFP and ToI Staff 15 April 2024, 12:58 am
The UK, France, and Jordan summoned on Sunday the heads of the Iranian diplomatic missions to their countries to protest Iran’s attack on Israel overnight Saturday.The three countries all took part in Saturday night’s effort, alongside the US and Israel, to intercept more than 300 Iranian drones and missiles heading toward Israeli airspace.The British foreign ministry said in a statement that the chargé d’affaires at the Iranian embassy in London was summoned in response to Iran launching an attack on Israel.“The UK condemns in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel, as well as their violation of Jordan and Iraq’s airspace. At a time of great tension in the Middle East, this was a profoundly dangerous and unnecessary escalation by Iran,” the ministry said.During the night of the attack, the country’s defense ministry said British Royal Air Force jets in the Middle East “will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required.”There were no initial reports on how many drones the RAF stopped.French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said his country will also summon the Iranian ambassador to France to protest the Islamic Republic’s attack.“I have asked the foreign ministry to summon the ambassador of Iran tomorrow to express… a message of firmness,” Séjourné told the France 2 television channel, adding that it was “the Iranians who attacked Israel.”IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari confirmed on Sunday morning that France was also involved in Israel’s defense, though he said he did not have exact details on whether French jets had shot down any of the missiles launched by Iran.“France has very good technology, jets, radar – and I know they were contributing in patrolling airspace,” he said.Meanwhile, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said his country had summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest against Iranian comments that were an interference in the kingdom’s internal affairs.J’ai convoqué l’ambassadeur d’Iran en France demain.Notre message doit être celui de la fermeté, pour assurer la désescalade. pic.twitter.com/X2k2vRZ7Hq— Stéphane Séjourné (@steph_sejourne) April 14, 2024-In remarks made to the state-owned Mamlaka public broadcaster, Safadi referred to comments in Iran’s official media in recent days that warned Jordan would be the next target, in the event it cooperated with Israel in intercepting an Iranian attack.While the US, Britain and France are military allies of Israel, Jordan’s assistance in repelling the Iranian attack was a dramatic show of support from Amman, which has heavily criticized Israel’s prosecution of its war in Gaza against Hamas.Two regional security sources said Jordan’s air force intercepted and shot down dozens of Iranian drones that violated its airspace and were heading to Israel.The IDF on Sunday said the Iranian attack, the Islamic Republic’s first direct assault on Israel, included some 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles. Hagari said Sunday that 99 percent of the 300 or so projectiles fired by Iran at Israel overnight had been intercepted by air defenses. According to Hagari, most of the missiles were intercepted by the long-range Arrow air defense system, and were mostly downed outside of Israeli airspace, he said, adding that fighter jets also intercepted dozens of cruise missiles and dozens of drones.Some of the missiles managed to bypass Israel’s defenses, hitting the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel. Hagari said slight damage was caused to some infrastructure at Nevatim, but the airbase was running as usual.The US and Israel had been bracing for an attack for days after Iran said it would retaliate for a suspected Israeli strike this month on what Tehran claims was a consular building in Syria that killed 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals in the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force.
US official says Iran tried to cause major damage but failed-‘Not seeking war’: White House stresses US won’t join Israeli counterstrike on Iran-NYT reports Biden dissuaded PM from launching response when they spoke after Iranian attack; senior American official: Israel ‘made clear’ it’s not seeking ‘significant escalation’By Jacob Magid-and Agencies Today, 11:34 pm-APR 14,24
US President Joe Biden has told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States would not participate in any Israeli counteroffensive against Iran, a senior administration official said on Sunday.Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday night in response to a suspected Israel attack on Iran’s Syria consulate on April 1 that killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including two generals.In a statement issued late on Saturday following the attacks, Biden said he told Netanyahu that Israel had “demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel.”Biden did not say in the statement whether he and Netanyahu discussed a possible Israeli response or potential US involvement, though the Axios news site reported immediately after the call that the US president said he would oppose any counterattack by Israel and that the premier should “take the win.”“We intercepted. We blocked. Together we will win,” Netanyahu said Sunday morning in a brief statement, without mentioning a potential Israeli response.A report by The New York Times said Biden dissuaded Netanyahu from greenlighting an immediate retaliatory strike against Iran. According to the report, several members of Israel’s war cabinet had been in favor of launching a response, but the lack of serious damage caused by Iran, in addition to Netanyahu’s conversation with Biden, led to it being called off.In a briefing Sunday with reporters, a senior administration official confirmed that Biden had told Netanyahu that Israel had won this latest round against Iran.“Israel really came out far ahead in this exchange. It took out the IRGC leadership in the Levant, Iran tried to respond, and Israel clearly demonstrated its military superiority, defeating this attack, particularly in coordination with its partners,” the official said.The official said Biden told Netanyahu that Israel must “think carefully and strategically about the risk of escalation,” as it weighs how to respond to Iran’s drone and missile attack.”The administration official was careful not to say that the US opposes an Israeli military response to Iran’s attack. However, he stressed in a briefing with reporters that the US would not join Israel in such a strike.“Israel has made clear to us that they’re not looking for a significant escalation with Iran. They’re looking to protect themselves and defend themselves,” the senior administration official said.How Israel responds to the Iranian strike is “a calculation the Israelis have to make. This was an unprecedented attack from Iran against Israel. At the same time, we think in the overall exchange here, the Israelis came out very much on top,” he said.“We are committed to defending Israel, [but] we would not be a part of any response,” the official clarified.The official noted that Hamas hoped Iran’s attack would advance the goal the terror group has had since its October 7 onslaught of igniting a regional war, but “we’re going to ensure that they do not succeed.”“We have disagreements with Israel on a number of things, including in particular on Gaza. Those are things we’re continuing to work through, but when it comes to the defense of Israel against Iran the commitment truly is ironclad,” the official added.The official also said Iran sent a message to the US via Switzerland informing Washington that its attack on Israel had ended, while denying reports that Tehran gave a 72-hour heads-up to Washington, insisting the Islamic Republic sought to cause “significant damage in Israel” but failed.“They might want to now say that what we didn’t mean to [cause casualties], but if you launch 100 ballistic missiles targeting certain locations — that was clearly their intent, they just didn’t succeed,” the official said.“If successful, this attack could have caused an uncontrollable escalation of broader regional conflict — something we have worked day and night to avoid since October 7.”Despite the lack of notification from Iran, US intelligence determined an attack was imminent and Washington managed to get assets in place and coordinate with partners to help Israel thwart the attack.“Our goal remains to de-escalate immediately and halt any further attack… [But] if Iran takes action against us, we’re fully prepared to defend our people, our interests and to hold Iran accountable,” the official declared.Earlier Sunday, John Kirby, the White House’s top national security spokesperson, told ABC’s “This Week” program that the United States will continue to help Israel defend itself, but does not want war with Iran.Asked if the United States would support retaliation from Israel in Iran, Kirby said that “our commitment is ironclad” to defending Israel and to “helping Israel defend itself.”“And as the president has said many times, we don’t seek a wider war in the region. We don’t seek a war with Iran. And I think I will leave it at that,” Kirby added.“We don’t seek escalated tensions in the region. We don’t seek a wider conflict,” Kirby said.The Biden administration’s effort to encourage Israel to show restraint mirrored its ongoing push to curtail the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which is now in its seventh month, and to do more to protect civilian lives in the territory.US Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who has been one of Israel’s most vocal Democratic defenders throughout the fighting in Gaza, criticized the administration’s stance on an Israeli military response to Iran.“It’s astonishing that we are not standing firmly with Israel and there should never be any kind of conditions [on military aid],” he told CNN’s “State of the Union” program.“We should follow and have Israel’s back in this situation,” Fetterman added.Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, criticized the White House for “leaking it to the press” that Biden told Netanyahu to take the win and not retaliate.Rubio told CNN that it was “part of the White House’s efforts to appease” people calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.Meanwhile, leaders of G7 nations condemned Iran’s attack on Israel and called for “restraint” from all sides. Biden said Saturday after speaking with Netanyahu that he would use the intergovernmental forum to “coordinate a united diplomatic response” to Iran’s “brazen” attack, indicating a military response was not on the table, while also saying the attack on Israel was only on military facilities.“We unanimously condemned Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel,” European Council President Charles Michel wrote on X, formerly Twitter, following video talks. “We will continue all our efforts to work toward de-escalation. Ending the crisis in Gaza as soon as possible, notably through an immediate ceasefire, will make a difference.”In a joint statement published by the Italian G7 presidency following the remote meeting, the leaders said they condemned Iran’s attack “unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms.” The G7 is made up of the US, Italy, Japan, Germany, France, Britain and Canada.“We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security,” they said. “With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided.”They also pledged to keep working “to stabilize the situation and avoid further escalation. In this spirit, we demand that Iran and its proxies cease their attacks, and we stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives.”“We will also strengthen our cooperation to end the crisis in Gaza, including by continuing to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, and [to] deliver increased humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in need.”According to the senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters Sunday, there was discussion during the call among some G7 leaders on designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp as a terror group as well as a new coordinated batch of sanctions against Iran.No decisions were made, however, with European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen saying, “We will reflect on additional sanctions against Iran… specifically on its drone and missile programs.”Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Analysis-As tensions between Israel and Iran rise, Gulf states seek to lower the flames-Between diplomatic advances of recent years with warring parties and being located geographically in the crossfire, Saudis and Emiratis uniquely positioned to mediate calm-By Samia Nakhoul and Pesha Magid Today, 10:35 pm
REUTERS – Gulf states are pushing to stop a full-blown regional war after Iran’s unprecedented retaliatory strikes on Israel, sources in the region said, fearing new escalation could put them on the front lines of a conflagration and ruin plans to reshape the region.Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in particular may be well placed to triangulate between Iran, Israel, and the United States, after diplomatic advances in recent years that benefited all those countries.As allies of Washington, Gulf monarchies have sought to stabilize ties with Iran and Israel to resolve longstanding security concerns and allow them to focus on national projects.The UAE and Bahrain signed a normalization deal with Israel in 2020 and Saudi Arabia was considering a similar agreement also involving a US defense pact until the Gaza war torpedoed diplomacy. Riyadh also buried the hatchet with Iran last year, after years of feuding.However, the policy of detente now faces its greatest ever threat, as the risk to wider regional peace raised by Israel’s conflict with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza since October 7 – when Hamas terrorists killed nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 253 – comes to a head.A direct war between Israel and Iran could swiftly expand to Gulf states whose air space lies between the pair, and which host several military bases of the United States, which has vowed to defend its ally Israel.“Nobody wants an escalation. Everybody wants to contain the situation,” said a Gulf source close to government circles, adding that there was probably wide telephone diplomacy under way.“The pressure is not on Iran alone. The pressure is now on Israel not to retaliate,” said the source, adding that the fallout of an Israeli attack on key Iranian sites “will affect all the region.”Another Gulf source with knowledge of official thinking said Gulf states, Iraq and Jordan are pushing both Iran and Israel’s main backer, the United States, not to escalate. Washington was already pressing Israel to show restraint, both sources said.At the same time, the United States was using Gulf countries to convey messages to Iran not to escalate any further, the source with knowledge of official thinking added.“It is clear that America is using Gulf Arab allies to convey messages between Iran and the Americans. Saudi Arabia is maintaining contacts with Iran and there is an understanding to contain things,” the source said.Reuters has requested comment from both Saudi Arabia and the UAE on how they are handling the crisis.Still, both the sources as well as analysts in the Gulf believed the most dangerous moment may have passed.“The Iranians took their shot,” said Abdulaziz al-Sager, head of the Gulf Research Center close to government circles, indicating that for Tehran, the escalatory phase was over, and adding that Washington did not want an escalation from Israel.Risks-There have been many recent reminders of Gulf states’ vulnerability.Iran on Saturday seized a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow stretch of water through which most Gulf energy exports pass, and has threatened to close shipping lanes there entirely.Meanwhile Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group, against which Saudi Arabia was fighting for years until moving towards a peace deal in December, has repeatedly attacked shipping and deployed drones towards Israel, skirting Saudi airspace in recent months.Before peace talks gained momentum last year, the Houthis had attacked in recent years key Saudi Arabian energy facilities several times and retain the capacity to do so again.In 2019, they hit key facilities in Saudi Arabia that process the vast majority of the country’s crude oil output and in 2022 they attacked three oil tanker trucks in the UAE.“A conflagration will see the price of oil shooting up. The traffic of oil will be affected,” the source said, describing likely outcomes of a wider regional war.De facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has for years tried to focus on his ambitious vision to develop mega projects in the kingdom free from geopolitical distractions.Saudi economic ambitions were at the heart of Riyadh’s push for detente with Iran, but the kingdom was also very concerned about security, said Saudi analyst Aziz Algashian.“It’s not just about the projects in our prosperous region… It doesn’t want to be caught in the crossfire between Israel, Iran, and the United States,” he said.The war in Gaza had already put policies of entente under strain.The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain made peace with Israel in 2020 through the so-called “Abraham Accords,” and Saudi Arabia was considering following suit in return for US security commitments.Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Iran last year put aside decades of destructive feuding that had fueled conflicts around the region with a deal to restore diplomatic ties and avoid harming each other’s interests.But the devastation in Gaza has derailed further moves towards peace with Israel, and Iran’s backing of regional Shiite Muslim allies that have targeted US bases in Iraq and elsewhere has raised concerns in the Gulf.The fact that detente might allow Gulf states to bring down regional tensions was probably regarded in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi as confirmation that their policy was working, Algashian said.“If there wasn’t Saudi-Iranian normalization and rapprochement, Saudi Arabia would be far more anxious right now,” he said.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Israel reopens airspace as airlines cancel flights in wake of Iran attack-Israel Airports Authority says most flights of foreign carriers have been delayed, while flights by flag carrier El Al were able to take off to destinations in Europe-By Reuters and ToI Staff Today, 9:56 pm-APR 14,24
Israeli airlines said operations were returning to normal on Sunday after an unprecedented missile and drone attack by Iran closed the airspace and led to flight cancellations.Israel reopened its airspace as of 7:30 a.m. on Sunday after the overnight assault, though flight schedules from Tel Aviv were expected to be affected and travelers were advised to check flight times before going to Ben Gurion Airport.Iran launched more than 300 projectiles at Israel –170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles — of which 99 percent were intercepted by Israeli and allied countries’ air defenses, including the US, Britain, France and Jordan.Flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines said it had resumed operations and was “working to stabilize the flight schedule as soon as possible,” as Israelis flocked to Ben Gurion Airport, traveling for the upcoming Passover holiday.“El Al will continue to operate as much as possible to preserve the air bridge to and from Israel,” it said.The airline had cancelled 15 flights to Europe, Dubai and Moscow scheduled for Sunday, while flights that had taken off from Bangkok and Phuket were forced to return.Smaller Israeli carrier Arkia said it was making adjustments to its flight schedule after initially postponing flights to Athens, Milan and Geneva.According to the Airports Authority, most flights of foreign carriers have been delayed, including Sunday flights to London by Wizz Air, to New Delhi by Air India, to Madrid by Iberia, and to Marseille by Air France.El Al’s flights to London, Frankfurt, Berlin, Bucharest, Athens, Paris, and Rome, and Ethiopian Airline’s flight to Addis Ababa were able to take off.Flights into Israel were also disrupted.Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways canceled flights to Jordan and Israel on Sunday, the airline said in a statement.Delays to flights-Swiss International Air Lines has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice, the airline said in a post on X on Sunday.Swiss, owned by German carrier Lufthansa, said all of its planes were avoiding the airspaces of Iran, Iraq, and Israel, causing delays to flights from India and Singapore.In addition to Swiss, Lufthansa said its flights and those of Austrian were also suspended to Tel Aviv, Amman and Erbil until Tuesday. Air India also reportedly has temporarily halted flights to Israel.With the Jewish festival of Passover next week, El Al said it was offering rescue flights from Athens, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Madrid, New York, and Miami, for Israelis stranded abroad by other carriers.Its Sun Dor subsidiary is offering flights back to Israel from Larnaca, Rhodes, Warsaw, and Krakow.Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon reopened their airspaces on Sunday, after closing them late on Saturday.United Airlines canceled both Saturday and Sunday’s planned flights from Newark to Tel Aviv, the airline said in a statement. United is the only major US airline to have resumed flights to Israel since the attacks by Hamas on Israel in October last year.
Iranian media: Israel 'being punished from four directions'Iran hails proxies for joining attack on Israel; IDF strikes Hezbollah in response
Lebanese terror group, Houthi rebels in Yemen and Iraqi militias fire projectiles at Jewish state in tandem with launch of missiles and drones from Iranian soil-By ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 9:05 pm-APR 15,24
Iran’s proxies in the region joined its first-ever direct attack against Israel in the early hours of Sunday morning, targeting the Jewish state with projectiles fired in tandem to the Islamic Republic’s launch of drone and missile swarms.Iranian media described the attack on Israel as “complex,” as it also involved Iranian allies in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq.“This attack did not come from Iran only, and this regime [Israel] is being punished from four directions,” the Tasnim news agency said.The attack, which began late Saturday, followed repeated Iranian threats to retaliate against Israel for a deadly April 1 strike on Tehran’s Damascus consular building. A large wave of around 300 attack drones and missiles triggered air raid sirens throughout the country early Sunday, as the military worked to intercept the Iranian projectiles.It marked a major escalation in the long-running covert war between the regional foes, and came against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, from which Iranian proxies have targeted the Jewish state in solidarity with the Palestinians.Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another Gaza-based Palestinian terror group, are also supported by Iran.Around the same time as Iran announced the attack, Lebanon’s Hezbollah claimed to fire dozens of rockets at Israeli army positions in the Golan Heights, setting off warning sirens in the northern community of Snir.Hezbollah announced a second barrage hours later.Security firm Ambrey said Yemen’s Houthi rebels also launched multiple drones at Israel, in coordination with Iran, adding that the projectiles were likely timed to reach Israel simultaneously.“Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS) were reportedly launched by the Houthis toward Israel. The UAVs were launched in coordination with Iran,” the company said. “Israeli ports are assessed to be potential targets,” it added, and warned of “collateral damage” to shipping.Additionally, drones were launched from Iraq, which IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said — like the UAVs from Yemen — failed to reach Israel.In a statement on Sunday, Hezbollah praised Iran’s attack on Israel, describing it as a “brave” decision that initiated a “new phase” of the conflict with Israel and the Palestinian cause, while claiming Tehran exercised its legal rights, despite “threats, intimidation and pressure.”“The operation precisely achieved its limited military objectives, despite the involvement of the United States, its allies, and its regional tools in responding to the stunning attack,” Hezbollah said in a statement. “The long-term political and strategic objectives for this major development will be successfully apparent over time.”The foreign minister of Syria, which is also part of the Iran-led “axis of resistance,” called Iran’s action against Israel a “legitimate act of self defense,” during a phone call Sunday with his Iranian counterpart, Syrian state media reported.Earlier in the day, the IDF said it struck a “significant weapons manufacturing site” belonging to Hezbollah in the Nabi Chit area, near northeastern Lebanon’s Baalbek, due to the Iran-backed terror group’s firing of some 40 rockets at northern Israel, during the overnight Iranian attack.The Baalbek area, identified in the past as a Hezbollah stronghold, is around 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Israeli border.The army said it also struck sites belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force in southern Lebanon’s Jbaa overnight, along with buildings used by the terror group in Khiam and Kafr Kila in response to the overnight rocket fire.Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a daily basis with rockets, drones, anti-tank missiles and other means. 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.So far, the skirmishes on the border have resulted in eight civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 10 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.Hezbollah has named 274 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon, and some in Syria. In Lebanon, another 53 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and at least 60 civilians, three of whom were journalists, have been killed.Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.
Ben Gvir: We must 'go crazy'; Gantz: Respond when it suits us-Should Israel launch an immediate retaliatory attack on Iran? Lawmakers are divided-Some hard-right members of the government call for harsh retaliation, while war cabinet members Gantz and Gallant issue more measured statements, urging global alliance building-By Sam Sokol-Today, 8:34 pm-APR 14,24
Far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government issued strident calls for Israel to react to Iran’s attack on Israel with a show of force, while other moderate members of the coalition, including war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz, urged a balanced approach aimed at avoiding a spiraling escalation.While some members of the security cabinet issued vehement calls for retaliation, according to Hebrew media reports the security cabinet on Saturday night authorized the narrow war cabinet — whose only voting members are Gantz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant — to make the ultimate decision on a response.In a possible indication of how Israel will respond, Gantz on Sunday afternoon declared that Israel must strengthen the “strategic alliance and the regional cooperation” that allowed it to weather the Iranian attack.“Faced with the threat of Iran, we will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran, in the way and at the time that suits us. And most importantly, in the face of the desire of our enemies to harm us, we will unite and become stronger,” Gantz stated, seemingly indicating that he does not support immediate retaliation against Iran itself.“Even today, we must remember that we have not yet completed our tasks – primarily the return of the hostages and the removal of the threat against the residents of the north and south,” he said. “We will continue the campaign, with determination and responsibility. And together – we will win.”Meanwhile National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir demanded a “crushing” counterattack in a series of statements over the weekend, insisting that the only way to create deterrence is to “go crazy” and shed “restraint and proportionality.”“Israel’s response must not be a scarecrow, in the style of the dune bombings we saw in previous years in Gaza,” the far-right politician declared in a video message criticizing retaliatory strikes against Gaza prior to October 7 as ineffective. “The concepts of restraint and proportionality are concepts that passed away on October 7.”Ben Gvir’s rhetoric was echoed by fellow ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who insisted in his own video that now is the time to “restore deterrence.”“And now, the eyes of the entire Middle East and the entire world are on the State of Israel. If our response resonates throughout the Middle East for generations to come — we will win,” he stated.“If we hesitate, God forbid, we will put ourselves and our children in immediate existential danger,” Smotrich warned, following up on a earlier statement calling on Israel to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah and “restore full Israeli control” over the entire strip.These statements came after US news outlet Axios reported that Biden had told Netanyahu he would oppose any Israeli counterattack against Iran, that the US would not join any such attack, and that the prime minister should “take the win.”Speaking on behalf of Netanyahu, Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs has reportedly called on members of the government not to make public statements about Iran and the United States, Hebrew media reported.Beyond Ben Gvir and Smotrich, other security cabinet members also released aggressive, if not as bellicose, statements following the attack.“We said that if Iran attacks Israel, we will respond in Iran. This is still valid,” Channel 12 quoted Foreign Minister Israel Katz as saying while Transportation Minister Miri Regev tweeted that Israel was “prepared to defend and attack against Iran.”“Those who hurt us will pay a heavy price,” Regev stated.Despite this, calls for an immediate strike against Iran were far from universal, with even some hawkish members of the cabinet and Knesset qualifying their demands for retaliation with calls not to rush headlong into a regional conflict without sufficient preparation.Praising the IDF and Israel’s allies, Likud’s Education Minister Yoav Kisch declared that “calmly and judiciously, it’s time to go on the attack,” while New Hope MK and former cabinet minister Gideon Sa’ar — who has repeatedly urged Netanyahu to ramp up the war in Gaza — insisted that last night’s attack “gave Israel room to maneuver and strategic flexibility.”“You need to know how to adopt strategic patience as well. Israel does not have to rush its response and disrupt the order of priorities it has set for itself,” he tweeted, calling on Israel to focus on “the defeat of Hamas and the release of the hostages.”“This is the right and smart thing to do. Iran’s time will come,” he stated.Even some usually hawkish MKs were more careful than usual in their response, calling for the government to act, but falling short of demanding an immediate strike on Iran itself.“Once you show your weakness — you will not be able to survive for long” in the Middle East, Yisrael Beytenu MK Evgeny Sova, a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, told The Times of Israel, declining to specify how Israel should respond.“We must respond because in our neighborhood they only understand power,” a spokesperson for National Unity MK Matan Kahana said in a WhatsApp message. “We will determine when, how, and where, and it will be in accordance with the interests of the State of Israel.”Likud MK Dan Illouz told the Times of Israel that “Israel must respond decisively, but also on our terms.”Asked how members of the prime minister’s party were reacting to the attack and what course of action they were demanding of Netanyahu, MK Danny Danon responded that he believed that he “represent[ed] the sentiment of many in the Likud [who believe] that we cannot ignore what happened.”But while Danon said he believed it was necessary to retaliate as soon as possible, he insisted that it is unhelpful to analyze According to the Likud source, while sentiment within Likud is mostly in favor of a retaliatory strike, there is no consensus, and the views within the prime minister’s party likely have less weight than many pundits would assume.“The only three people who will make a decision are Gallant, Gantz, and Netanyahu,” the source said, referring to press reports that the security cabinet had authorized the war cabinet to make decisions regarding Israel’s response to the Iran attack.That means that the war cabinet, which met on Sunday afternoon, will not have to return to the security cabinet to get decisions approved, thereby streamlining the process when quick decisions are required.“Beyond that, I don’t really see anything other than political positioning,” the insider stated.Ignoring Fuchs’s reported warning, only minutes after Gantz’s statement, Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar (Likud) released a statement criticizing what he called a “weak response” to Iranian aggression, calling it “the continuation of the outdated concept of reasonable logic in the face of brutal terrorists.”“It failed against Hamas and we got the 7th of October, it failed against Hezbollah, which attacks us continuously and led to the evacuation of the residents of the north, and it will fail against Iran, which did not hesitate to attack Israel directly.”His criticism followed an earlier statement in which he claimed that Israel had “broad international legitimacy… to strike Iran with unprecedented force” following the attack, and urged a response “against the head of the snake that is working to destroy Israel.”Gallant also stressed the importance of building an anti-Iranian alliance on Sunday.Touring one of the Arrow 3 air defense system batteries that participated in last night’s interception of Iranian ballistic missiles, Gallant stated that “we have an opportunity here to establish a strategic alliance against this serious threat from Iran, which threatens to put nuclear explosives on the heads of these missiles.”“This thing could be a very serious threat. The US, Israel, and its allies stand shoulder to shoulder to defend against this threat,” Gallant said.Members of the opposition have advocated an approach more similar to that of Gantz than that of Zohar, with outgoing Labor chief Merav Michaeli asserting that Israel’s allies’ role in thwarting the attack “proved once again how critical the strategic alliance with the US and the countries of the region is to the security of the State of Israel.”“Now the same people who incited against the USA, against regional agreements and against the security establishment are trying to tell them that it is time for a ‘decisive attack,’ without realizing that there is no such thing as Israel alone in the face of these threats,” she stated.“Don’t let them hide behind belligerent words and lead us into a terrible and never-ending regional war. Such a war is meant to serve Netanyahu, not the State of Israel. Now is the time to take advantage of the momentum for a regional agreement that will stop the war and bring our hostages home.”A spokesman for Opposition Leader Yair Lapid declined to comment on his preferred response to the Iranian attack, although the Yesh Atid chairman did tweet that “the world is strongest when we stand united against the threat of terror, extremism and the fanatical regime in Iran.”Asked why Lapid has stayed in the United States over the weekend when his last meeting with a US official was on Thursday, the spokesman confirmed that he was on the way back to Israel, but provided no details of his activities over the weekend.Emanuel Fabian and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Siren not triggered because there wasn't threat to civilians-For 2nd time in days, IDF downs hostile drone over Eilat with ship-mounted Iron Dome-Navy deploys C-Dome days after using it for first time ever, intercepts drone over southernmost Israeli city believed to have come from Yemen; no reports of injuries or damage-By Emanuel Fabian-15 April 2024, 1:41 am
The IDF said it downed a hostile drone flying over the southernmost Israeli city of Eilat on Sunday night.There were no reports of injuries or damages as a result of the interception. No sirens sounded in Eilat, as there was no threat to civilians, the military said before later publishing footage of the interception.It marked the second-ever successful interception carried out by a ship-mounted Iron Dome missile defense system known as C-Dome, with the first taking place less than a week earlier.Sunday’s UAV was believed to have been launched from Yemen and was downed by a missile fired from one of the Navy’s Sa’ar 6-class corvettes.The Navy’s Sa’ar 6-class corvettes are normally tasked with guarding the natural gas platforms off Israel’s coast as well as its shipping lanes.Amid repeated wartime cruise missile, drone, and ballistic missile attacks by the Houthis, the Navy announced in December that it had also deployed the INS “Magen” Sa’ar 6-class corvette to the Red Sea for the first time.Reports of a C-Dome interceptor launch in the Eilat bay. pic.twitter.com/3qxap96K9M— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 14, 2024-The C-Dome was deployed for the first time on April 8 after the military tracked a drone that had entered Israeli airspace also near Eilat. There were no reports of damage or injuries in that incident either.Much like the ground version of the Iron Dome, the Defense Ministry says that the C-Dome is capable of downing rockets, cruise missiles, and drones.The Islamic Resistance of Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed paramilitary groups, claimed responsibility for the April 8 drone launch, claiming to have aimed at an unspecified “vital target” in Israel as well as the Hatzerim Airbase near Beersheba.Recent months have seen numerous attacks on the Eilat area carried out by Iran-backed groups such as Yemen’s Houthis, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, and a group in Syria linked to Lebanon’s Hezbollah.In November, a school in Eilat was hit by a drone launched from Syria; in March, a cruise missile fired from Yemen struck an open area north of the city; earlier this month, a drone launched from Iraq struck a Navy hangar in the Eilat Bay; and also this month, a drone struck an open area in Jordan near southern Israel’s Ramon Airport.The Navy’s Sa’ar 6-class corvettes are normally tasked with guarding the natural gas platforms off Israel’s coast as well as its shipping lanes.Amid repeated wartime cruise missile, drone, and ballistic missile attacks by the Houthis, the Navy announced in December that it had also deployed the INS “Magen” Sa’ar 6-class corvette to the Red Sea for the first time.
Gazans flood road to north after rumors of lifted checkpoint; IDF denies opening-Army reiterates that Palestinians remain barred from moving to northern part of Strip as it’s ‘still a combat zone,’ after ‘false reports’ claimed residents could go home-By AFP and ToI Staff 15 April 2024, 1:11 am
Thousands of Gazans flooded the coast road north on Sunday after hearing that several people managed to cross a closed checkpoint towards Gaza City, despite Israel denying it was open.An AFP journalist saw mothers holding their children’s hands and families piling onto donkey carts with their luggage as they made the journey.They hoped to cross a military checkpoint on al-Rashid road south of Gaza City, but the Israeli army told AFP that reports the route had opened were “not true.”On the other side, desperate families waited for their loved ones in the rubble of the battered main city in the Palestinian territory.Mahmoud Awdeh said he was waiting for his wife, who has been in the southern city of Khan Younis since October 7, when Hamas launched a devastating terror onslaught against Israel that sparked the ongoing war.“She told me over the phone that people are leaving the southern part and heading to the north,” Awdeh said.“She told me she’s waiting at the checkpoint until the army agrees to let her head to the north,” he said, hoping she would be able to cross safely.During the day rumors also spread that the Israeli army was allowing women, children and men over 50 to go to the north, a claim denied by the army.“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 IDF said 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 added.Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, warned Gazans to avoid using the road to the north.“For your safety, do not approach the forces operating there. The northern Gaza Strip area is still a war zone and we will not allow a return to it,” Adraee wrote in a post on X.Since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following the Hamas-led attack atrocities in October, the army has besieged the territory, telling Gazans to leave some areas and preventing them from moving across the narrow Strip.More than 1.5 million Palestinians have taken refuge in the southern city of Rafah, according to the United Nations.Several Gazans said they came under attack on the route and AFP footage showed people ducking for cover.The Palestinian official news agency Wafa accused Israeli forces of having “bomb(ed) displaced Palestinians as they were trying to return to the north of Gaza Strip through Al Rasheed street.”Wafa shared a video on X which AFP has not verified showing people running away from a blast.Nour, a displaced Gazan, told AFP: “When we arrived at the (Israeli) checkpoint, they would let women pass or stop them, but they shot at men so we had to return, we didn’t want to die.”The IDF did not immediately respond to comment on those allegations.Elsewhere in Gaza, the fighting continued on Sunday after Iran launched a huge drone and missile attack on Israel overnight.Iran’s first-ever direct assault on Israeli territory came in retaliation for a deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus that killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including two generals, an attack that Tehran blamed Jerusalem for.But in Rafah on Sunday, Palestinians told AFP they were underwhelmed by Iran’s attack on Israel.“The Iranian response came so late, after 190 days of war,” Khaled Al Nems told AFP. “You can see our suffering.”“Their response is too little too late,” he added.Walid Al Kurdi, a displaced Palestinian living in Rafah, said that “Iran’s attack on Israel is not really our business.”“The only thing we care about is going back to our homes,” he said.“We are waiting for the coming 48 hours to see if (Israel) responds to Iran, or if they are playing with us and want to distract attention away from Rafah.”Israel has said it plans to send ground forces into Rafah to eradicate the remaining Hamas terrorists there.
Iran says its fight is with Israel, warns US 'must stay away' UN Security Council to meet Sunday for emergency talks on Iran’s attack against Israel-Israeli envoy requests body condemn unprecedented Iranian missile and drone strikes, list IRGC as terror group; Biden stresses backing for Israel as world leaders denounce Tehran-By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 5:49 am-APR 14,24
The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Sunday over Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel, the body’s president said.A spokesperson for Malta, which holds the rotating presidency this month, told the press Saturday evening that the Security Council was aiming for the meeting to be held at 4:00 p.m. (11 p.m. Israel time) Sunday after Israel requested the council condemn Iran’s attack and designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization.Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major regional escalation as the United States pledged “ironclad” backing for Israel.The Iranian strikes came as Tehran’s proxies in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen have carried out a flurry of attacks on Israeli and Western targets since October 7, when Iran-backed Hamas launched a devastating terror onslaught in southern Israel, triggering the ongoing war in Gaza.Israel’s envoy to the UN, in a letter to the Security Council president, called Iran’s air assault a “flagrant violation of Israel’s sovereignty.”“Today, Iran has launched a direct attack from within its territory of more than 200 [drones], cruise missiles and ballistic missiles towards Israel,” Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan wrote.“The attack is a severe and dangerous escalation.”In a post on X, he also called the Iranian attack “a serious threat to global peace and security and I expect the council to use every means to take concrete action against Iran.”Iran’s mission to the UN earlier issued a warning to both Israel and the US “should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe,” it wrote online. “It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY!”It also claimed the attack was a legitimate act of self-defense under the UN charter, saying “Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus.” The diplomatic mission was referring to an alleged Israeli strike in the Syrian capital that killed seven IRGC members, including two generals.“The matter can be deemed concluded.”Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone with US President Joe Biden early Sunday, his office said, after wrapping up security cabinet and war cabinet meetings at the IDF’s Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. The conversation lasted for around 25 minutes, according to Israeli television.There was no immediate readout from the White House on the call, which was held after Biden convened a principals meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the attack. The US president returned to Washington earlier in the day after cutting short his weekend stay in Delaware.“Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad,” Biden said on X after the National Security Council meeting.The Iranian attack was also denounced by numerous countries and international organizations, who warned the attack threatened to further destabilize the Middle East.United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a statement condemned the “reckless” strikes, which he said “risk inflaming tensions and destabilizing the region. Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard.”The European Union’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell called the attack “an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security” in a message on X.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned “the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”“I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation,” he added, calling on parties to “avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East.”France’s Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne on X said that “in deciding to take this unprecedented action, Iran has reached a new level in its acts of destabilization and is risking a military escalation.”Berlin’s top diplomat also warned the attack would have a destabilizing effect, and urged Tehran to halt the strikes.“We condemn the ongoing attack — which could plunge an entire region into chaos — in the strongest possible terms,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on X.“Iran and its proxies must stop this immediately,” she continued, adding that Berlin stands “firmly by Israel.”Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa that his country “unequivocally condemns Iran’s airborne attacks,” adding: “We stand with Israel.”“After supporting Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime’s latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult,” he added.The office of Argentine President Javier Milei expressed in a statement its “solidarity and unwavering commitment” to Israel in the face of the attacks.It added that Argentina “emphatically supports the State of Israel in the defense of its sovereignty, especially against regimes that promote terror,” noting an Argentine court recently held Iran responsible for deadly bomb attacks on the Israeli embassy and a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in the 1990s.Cairo’s foreign ministry expressed its “deep concern” at the escalation of hostilities and called for “maximum restraint,” without explicitly condemning Tehran.The ministry’s statement also warned of the “risk of the regional expansion of the conflict,” and added that Egypt would be “in direct contact with all parties to the conflict to try and contain the situation.”The Saudi foreign ministry issued a statement voicing its concern at the “military escalation” and calling on “all parties to exercise utmost restraint and spare the region and its peoples from the dangers of war.”It went on to urge the UN Security Council “to assume its responsibility towards maintaining international peace and security.”The statement did not mention either Israel nor Iran — let alone condemn Tehran for its attack against the Jewish state.
