Explosions can be heard
It seems it has started. Four minutes ago:
Explosions can be heard above Tel Aviv and the sound of warning sirens wailing across the city, Israel’s largest urban and economic metropolis.
In Jerusalem, explosions are also being heard, witnesses have told Reuters.
Israeli media is reporting that Iran has launched more than 100 missiles at Israel. It’s unclear whether missiles are hitting home or being intercepted in the sky above the cities. This is a rapidly unfolding, ongoing situation.
The Israeli military is now reporting that sirens are sounding across the country.
Update:
Explosions can be heard above Tel Aviv and the sound of warning sirens wailing across the city, Israel’s largest urban and economic metropolis.
In Jerusalem, explosions are also being heard, witnesses have told Reuters.
Israeli media is reporting that Iran has launched more than 100 missiles at Israel. It’s unclear whether missiles are hitting home or being intercepted in the sky above the cities. This is a rapidly unfolding, ongoing situation.
The Israeli military is now reporting that sirens are sounding across the country.
9 minutes later:
Guardian reporters in Jerusalem witnessed dozens of missiles heading over the city going towards Israel’s main coastal cities in a huge attack at not long after 7.30 pm local time, with the engines of the rockets clearly visible as they passed over.
While some interceptions could be heard over the city many of the missiles appeared to continue on unharmed and proceed towards the coast and central Israel to the sound of distant bombs.
On the edge of the Old City many stood to watch the missiles flying overhead in what appears to have been an unprecedented attack.
This could be famous last words, but maybe this isn’t quite as serious as it looks. Here’s what columnist Gwynne Dyer wrote about an Iranian attack following the Israeli assassination of two Iranian generals in Syria:
https://gwynnedyer.com/2024/netanyahus-game/
Maybe this is another round of the same?
Dyer (and others) have pointed out that once Israel’s current war(s) end, Netanyahu is likely to be thrown in jail for corruption, and held accountable for failing to foresee/prevent the Oct. 7 attacks, so keeping the pot boiling works for him. As odd as it seems, if Dyer is correct, these missile attacks are “restraint” on the part of Iran, a way of appearing to do something in retaliation without really retaliating. Maybe this latest wave of missiles is in response to the Israelis’ exploding pagers attack* against Hezbollah. If Iranian missiles start hitting real targets, causing damage, injury, and death, then that will be a different story.
*https://gwynnedyer.com/2024/exploding-pagers-what-was-the-point/
I don’t hold much chance of “Israel’s current war(s)” ending. They, like the USA, seem to thrive on forever wars, always seeking out new enemies. And while the world’s attention has swapped from Gaza to Lebanon, daily evictions and killings happen in the Occupied West Bank without a flicker of concern. Collective punishment is imposed, Israel ignores the UN and the Geneva Conventions.
There is no Hamas or Hezbollah in the Occupied West Bank, but there are a lot of houses Israel demands for the newly arrived European and American Jews.
All indications are that showing restraint was a poor decision on the part of Hezbollah, so who knows?
I did hear recently that some Israeli general quipped that “when we go into Lebanon no one will hear the Gazans’ screams…”
Nice chaps, aren’t they?