Jim Williams covers the war between Israel and Hamas filing multiple blog post along with video reports per day. Be sure to check them out here on News Talk Florida.
Saturday April 13, 2024 at 11:45 p.m.
Washington, DC – As expected, Iran attacked Israel Saturday night by launching drones and missiles aimed at cities throughout the country with surprisingly little damage. In a press briefing given by the IDF credited the multiple areal defense systems along with help from their partners in keeping the damage to a minimum
The direct attack by Iran on Israel marks a first and and could escalate the war on another front at a time when the battle with Hamas was hopefully nearing an end.
In the briefing the Israeli military’s spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Iran fired scores of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles — with the vast majority intercepted outside Israel’s borders.
He said warplanes intercepted over 10 cruise missiles alone, also outside Israeli airspace.
He concluded his brief conference by saying a handful of missiles managed to land in Israel.
Per reports from the Pentagon – The United States, and Britain both shot down drones before they entered Israel as the goal for the allies to protect the region from Iran was put into motion.
According to Associated Press: Rescuers said one strike critically wounded a 10-year-old girl in a Bedouin Arab town in southern Israel, while Hagari said another missile struck an army base, causing light damage but no injuries.
Eyewitness’s told News Talk Florida that sirens went off and sent them rushing for cover in their saferooms, stairwells or shelters but no one hurt.
According to Israeli media – The biggest surprise was that Jerusalem was targeted by Iran which of course is the most holly city in the world. Home to the Temple Mount and many sacred places for the Christain, Muslim and Jewish religions, this was the first time it came under attack from Iran and fortunately no one was injured.
In Washington President Joe Biden met with his diplomatic and military teams at the White House and they were in contact with CENTCOM in Tampa as well as the IDF in Israel. in a post on X Biden once again pledged the United States support for Israel was Ironclad.
I just met with my national security team for an update on Iran’s attacks against Israel. Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. pic.twitter.com/kbywnsvmAx
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 13, 2024
The White House press team said they expected that some time Saturday night or Sunday morning President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about what took place Saturday and about what happens in coming days.
There was worldwide condemnation of the attack by Iran from around the globe.
Associated Press reports that French foreign minister Stéphane Séjourné said in a statement Saturday that in “taking such an unprecedented action, Iran has crossed a new threshold with regard to its destabilizing activities and is risking a potential military escalation.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote early Sunday on X that Germany condemns “in the strongest possible terms the ongoing attack, which could plunge an entire region into chaos.
“Iran and its proxies must stop it immediately,” Baerbock wrote. “We offer Israel our full solidarity at this time.”
Likewise, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his nation “unequivocally condemns Iran’s airborne attacks against Israel.”
“We stand with Israel. After supporting Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime’s latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult,” Trudeau said in a statement.
“We support Israel’s right to defend itself and its people from these attacks.”
U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said additional Royal Air Force jets and air refueling tankers have been sent to the Middle East to bolster Britain’s existing operation against the Islamic State Group in Iraq and Syria.
He said the jets “will intercept airborne attacks within range of our existing missions,” but did not confirm whether RAF jets had already shot down any Iranian drones.
In a statement posted on X – U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres is calling for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East.
“I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening,” Guterres wrote in a statement Saturday night.
“I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East,” Guterres wrote. “I have repeatedly stressed that neither the region nor the world can afford another war.”
Some quotes used in crafting this story were provided by Associated Press while others were posted on X.
