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The Times of Israel liveblogged Friday’s events as they happened.
Israeli, US defense chiefs discuss maintaining regional stability in call hours after alleged strike in Iran
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on April 14, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant earlier today, the Pentagon says, adding that they discussed “maintaining stability in the Middle East,” among other issues, during a call that took place hours after an alleged Israeli counter-strike in Iran.
Satellite photo seen by ToI shows damage to radar system near Iran’s Isfahan Airport after alleged IDF strike
Satellite imagery seen by The Times of Israel shows damage to a radar system near Iran’s Isfahan Airport, following reports of an alleged Israeli strike in the area overnight.
The imagery is currently not permitted for publication, per the policy of the agency that took the photo.
Additional synthetic aperture radar satellite images taken today also show evidence that the radar site near Isfahan Airport was targeted.
According to a report earlier today by ABC, the alleged Israeli strike near Isfahan targeted a radar system that was part of the air defenses for Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility.
Umbra synthetic aperture radar imagery acquired 0648Z 19APR2024 showed evidence of damage to the Iranian S-300PMU2 strategic surface-to-air missile battery in Isfahan since 15APR2024. A probable damaged 30N6E target engagement radar was visible in imagery still on the radar… pic.twitter.com/eqMFTanPOH
— Chris Biggers (@CSBiggers) April 19, 2024
Biden aide: We’re working to formalize regional cooperation used to thwart Iran strike
White House Mideast czar Brett McGurk holds a virtual briefing with American Jewish community leaders on April 19, 2024. (Screen capture/Zoom)
White House Mideast czar Brett McGurk says the regional cooperation that took place in the thwarting of Iran’s attack on Israel last weekend is something that the Biden administration has been working to bolster for the past several years.
“If you go back to the president’s visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2022, a main focus was the integrated air defense early-warning systems that we have been so focused on,” McGurk says during a White House virtual briefing with American Jewish community leaders.
“That takes military cooperation, it takes diplomatic coordination, and it’s been kind of a theoretical principle. But it came to a head on Saturday night in an incredibly successful way.”
“We consider it a game changer because it speaks to what could be a security-integrated architecture in the Middle East that is now developing, and that we think we can now formalize,” McGurk continues, apparently referring to US efforts to broker a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
But the deal is expected to require Israel to commit to creating a pathway to an eventual Palestinian state, which has long been a non-starter for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his hardline government.
“A lot of that will have to do with what happens within just the next couple of months, including in Gaza and some other issues, which we’ve been very intensively discussing with the Israelis,” McGurk says.
“I think when historians look at the last two weeks, it is about managing a crisis in a way that I think very much restored deterrence. I think Israel has come out of this, actually, significantly stronger,” he adds, while declining to speak about last night’s Israeli strike on Iran.
French, Lebanese leaders discuss effort to quell Hezbollah, Israel clashes
France's President Emmanuel Macron at the Lebanon donors' conference gathering online representatives of international institutions and heads of state, one year after the Beirut port blast, at the Fort de Bregancon, in Bormes-Les-Mimosas, southern France, on August 4, 2021. (Christophe Simon/Pool/AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron met Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the country’s army chief Joseph Aoun in Paris earlier today for talks on how to end cross-border fighting between Hezbollah and Israel and ease a political stalemate in Lebanon.
A statement from Mikati’s office says he discussed with Macron a French proposal to end cross-border fighting that envisions increased support for the Lebanese army and the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from within 10 kilometers (six miles) of the border.
Mikati thanked Macron for his efforts “to stop the Israeli aggression against Lebanon and support the army with equipment and expertise to enable it to fully carry out its tasks,” the statement says.
Iran-backed Hezbollah and the Israeli army have engaged in clashes across the Lebanese border since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7, marking their most serious hostilities since a war between them in 2006.
Macron and Mikati also discussed the need to elect a new president more than a year after former Lebanese president Michel Aoun left office, deepening political paralysis as Lebanon continues to suffer from an acute financial crisis, the statement from Mikati’s office says.
CIA chief blames deadlock in hostage talks on Hamas for rejecting mediators’ latest proposal
File: CIA Director William Burns speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 8, 2023. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/AP Photo)
CIA chief Bill Burns placed the blame on Hamas for the latest deadlock on the hostage negotiations, saying the terror group rejected the latest proposal crafted by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
“It was a deep disappointment to get a negative reaction from Hamas,” Burns said at an event at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas.
“Right now, it’s that negative reaction that really is standing in the way of innocent civilians in Gaza getting humanitarian relief that they so desperately need,” he says in rare public comments.
Burns said he could not guarantee that the talks will succeed.
“And it breaks your heart because you can see in very human terms what’s at stake here as well,” he says.
White House says it has ‘no comment’ on Israel’s attack in Iran overnight
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. (AP/Susan Walsh)
The White House has no comment on reports of Israeli attacks in Iran overnight, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre says.
The lack of comment is a departure for a White House that routinely weighs in on the latest developments in the Middle East.
Iraq expresses deep concern over attack targeting Iran’s Isfahan
Iraq expressed its deep concern over the attack targeting the city of Isfahan in central Iran, warning of the dangers of military escalation, the Iraqi state news agency says.
Netanyahu aide said to dress down Ben Gvir for calling Iran strike ‘lame’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, greets National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the Knesset on May 23, 2023. (Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP)
After National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir tweeted that last night’s strike on Iran was “lame,” Channel 12 reports that a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached out to the far-right lawmaker to tell him that he was harming Israel’s national security.
The network notes that there won’t likely be further repercussions for Ben Gvir, given that Netanyahu is reliant on him to remain in power.
Report: Target of Israeli strike in Iran was military base near Natanz, not nuclear facilities themselves
A man walks past a banner showing missiles being launched from a map of Iran, in northern Tehran, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Citing “senior US military sources,” Fox News reports that the target of last night’s alleged Israeli strike in Iran was a military base in Isfahan near Natanz, not the nuclear facilities themselves.
“The Israelis hit what they intended to strike,” one of the sources tells Fox News, adding that there was one main target that was hit multiple times and that Iran’s Russian-made air defense system was proven ineffective.
The targets of the strike included air defense systems at the military base, which is used to protect the nearby nuclear facilities, Fox reports.
The IDF used missiles and drones in the strike, not manned aircrafts, Fox says.
Israel’s message with the strike was to sell the Iranians on the idea that “we can reach out and touch you,” the source says.
Berlin lodges complaint with Netanyahu’s office after ‘distorted’ leaks from PM’s meeting with German FM
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, left, meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, April 17, 2024. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)
Germany says Friday it complained to Benjamin Netanyahu’s staff after what it described as a “distorted” account of a row between German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the Israeli prime minister was leaked to the press.
Israeli media, as well as Germany’s top-selling tabloid Bild, had reported that an argument erupted between Netanyahu and Baerbock during the German minister’s visit to Israel this week.
Asked about the report after a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting on the Italian island of Capri, Baerbock says that “we are not reporting on confidential discussions.”
“The German ambassador was in contact with the prime minister’s staff and made it clear what we think of such distorting publications,” she says.
“Regret was expressed to us regarding the publication, whose source is unclear.”
According to the media reports, Baerbock was shown footage of markets with abundant supplies of food in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, as well as images of beaches in the coastal territory where Palestinians were sunbathing and swimming.
Baerbock responded by criticizing Netanyahu over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying the images did not reflect the true situation there, reportedly sparking a retort from the premier who said Israel was “not like the Nazis” who manufactured reality.
Germany’s ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert has tweeted that “key points” in the media accounts are “wrong and misleading,” but did not specify what was the issue.
Despite growing global concerns about the situation in Gaza, Netanyahu this week rejected any claims about famine, insisting Israel is doing “above and beyond” what is needed “on the humanitarian issue,” his office said.
Organizing committee of Jewish pilgrimage in Tunisia cancels annual celebrations
Djerba synagogue is seen in Djerba, Tunisia, April 12, 2002. The Tunisian Interior Ministry says a naval guard shot and killed a colleague and two civilians Tuesday, May 9, 2023, near the synagogue during an annual Jewish pilgrimage. (AP Photo/Hassene Dridi, File)
The organizing committee of a Jewish pilgrimage to Tunisia’s Djerba synagogue canceled the annual celebration due to the war in Gaza, the head of the organizing committee Perez Trabelsi tells Reuters on Friday.
Trabelsi adds that the annual pilgrimage will be reduced to limited rituals only inside the synagogue and expects a very small number to arrive from France due to the tense situation in the Middle East.
“How do we celebrate when people die every day?” he says.
No injuries or damage reported after Gaza rockets fired at southern Israel
Several rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip at the southern city of Sderot a short while ago.
One rocket was intercepted over Sderot by the Iron Dome air defense system, while several more fell short in Gaza, the IDF says.
The attack triggered sirens in Sderot and surrounding towns.
There are no reports of injuries or damage.
One rocket fired from the Gaza Strip was intercepted over Sderot a short while ago.
According to the municipality, a second projectile struck an open area outside the city. pic.twitter.com/14xZERgIJi
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 19, 2024
Satellite images don’t appear to show extensive damage to Iran’s Isfahan air base allegedly targeted by IDF
Satellite images published by CNN do not appear to show any extensive damage to Iran’s Isfahan air base, which was allegedly targeted last night by Israel.
The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite images were taken around 10:18 a.m. local time — five hours after the strike.
.@CNN EXCLUSIVE: No extensive damage seen at Iran's Isfahan air base in exclusive satellite images https://t.co/ioscPEGmOP
— Shawn Reynolds (@ShawnReynolds_) April 19, 2024
Iran foreign minister claims Israeli attack caused no damage or casualties in Isfahan
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East at UN headquarters in New York City on April 18, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says drones that sources say Israel fired at the city of Isfahan on Friday caused no damage or casualties, in comments made to the envoys of Muslim nations in New York and cited by Iranian media.
“The Zionist regime’s media supporters, in a desperate effort, tried to make victory out of their defeat, while the downed mini-drones have not caused any damage or casualties,” Amirabdollahian is quoted as saying.
ABC News reported moments ago that the attack included missiles as well.
Tehran has indicated it has no plans for retaliation. Israel has made no public comment on the incident.
IDF missiles reportedly targeted air defense radar system for Natanz nuclear facility, near Iran’s Isfahan
Iraqis inspect debris from an alleged Israeli airstrike on Iran on April 19, 2024. (Screen capture/X)
Israeli fighter jets launched three missiles at an air defense radar site near Isfahan in the overnight strike in Iran, ABC News reports, citing a US official.
The radar site was part of the protection of Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, the report says.
The official says that the missiles were fired from outside of Iran. This may correlate with shrapnel found in Iraq this morning, thought to be part of a two-stage standoff munition, although this remains unconfirmed.
According to the report, the strike was “very limited.” It says that according to an initial assessment, the strike took out the radar site, but the assessment has not yet been completed.
Iran had claimed earlier that three drones were involved in the attack on Isfahan. State TV said that the small aircraft were destroyed by air defenses, and it made no mention of any missiles or damage in the attack.
Sabreen published pictures purportedly showing debris of Israeli missiles found in the in Al-Aziziya area of the Wasit Governorate, in #Iraq pic.twitter.com/n9f8rw6Mln
— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) April 19, 2024
IDF strikes Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon after three projectiles fired at Israel
Iraqis inspect debris from an alleged Israeli airstrike on Iran on April 19, 2024. (Screen capture/X)
The IDF says it carried out an airstrike on Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon’s Mansouri and Aitaroun a short while ago.
The strikes come after three projectiles were fired from Lebanon at the Yiftah area, causing no damage or injuries, according to the IDF.
Troops also shelled the launch sites with artillery, the military adds.
כלי טיס של חיל האוויר תקפו לפני זמן קצר תשתיות צבאיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחבים אל-מנצורי ועיתרון שבדרום לבנון.
מוקדם יותר היום זוהו שלושה שיגורים שחצו לעבר מרחב יפתח בצפון הארץ, אין נזק ואין נפגעים. צה"ל תקף בירי ארטילרי לעבר מקורות הירי pic.twitter.com/bTc9RkXaQV
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 19, 2024
Blinken: Even if Israel evacuates Rafah, a significant civilian population will remain and be exposed to harm
Palestinians line up for a meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, December 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterates that the Biden administration “cannot support a major military operation in Rafah.”
“First, there are currently somewhere around 1.4 million people in Rafah — many of them displaced from other parts of Gaza. It’s imperative that people are able to get out of the way of any conflict, and doing so is a monumental task for which we have yet to see a plan,” Blinken says at a press conference in Italy. “Not only getting them out of harm’s way, but making sure that they can be supported with humanitarian assistance.”
“Second, even if people are largely out of harm’s way, inevitably there’s going to remain a pretty significant civilian population in Rafah, and we believe that a major military operation with a large presence of the civilian population would have terrible consequences for that population,” he says.
“We are committed, as Israel is, to ensuring that Gaza cannot be controlled by Hamas… But in terms of major military operations in Rafah, that’s something that we don’t support, and we believe that the objective can be achieved by other means,” Blinken continues.
“We’ve been engaged in conversations at senior levels with Israel over the past couple of weeks on this, including as recently as this week.”
Hostages’ families block main highway between Jerusalem in Tel Aviv, demanding return of their loved ones
Hostages' families block Route 1 on April 19, 2024. (Screen capture/X)
Dozens of relatives of the Gaza hostages along with their supporters have blocked off Route 1, the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, protesting government inaction in returning their loved ones.
מפגינים ובני משפחות חטופים חוסמים כעת את כביש 1 ומבעירים אש בחביות. ״מבעירים את מחדלי הממשלה על רעותיה: הפקרה, הזנחה, שחיתות, זלזול בחיי אדם, מרמה, אינטרסים פוליטיים, אדישות״ מסרו pic.twitter.com/0b0TDEMOSg
— Bar Peleg (@bar_peleg) April 19, 2024
מפגינים ובני משפחות חטופים חוסמים כעת את כביש 1 בסמוך למחלף ענבה ומתככנים להבעיר במקום אש במסגרת סוג של ביעור חמוץ pic.twitter.com/pHFYrrNA26
— Bar Peleg (@bar_peleg) April 19, 2024
Shipping industry urges UN to protect vessels after Iran seizure
This image grab taken from a UGC video posted on social media on April 13, 2024, shows Iran's Revolutionary Guards rappelling down onto a container ship, MSC Aries, near the Strait of Hormuz. (Video screenshot)
Merchant ships and seafarers are increasingly in peril at sea as attacks escalate in the Middle East, and the United Nations must do more to protect supply chains, the industry says in a letter.
Tensions have soared across the Middle East since October 7 with Israel or its ally the United States clashing repeatedly with Iranian-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
In a letter sent to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the world’s leading shipping industry associations said Iran’s seizure on April 13 of the MSC Aries container ship 50 nautical miles off the United Arab Emirates coast “once again highlighted the intolerable situation where shipping has become a target.”
“Innocent seafarers have been killed, seafarers are being held hostage,” the letter says.
“The world would be outraged if four airliners were seized and held hostage with innocent souls onboard. Regrettably, there does not seem to be the same response or concern (for ships and their crew members).”
An Indian woman who was a mariner on the MSC Aries returned to the country, India’s foreign ministry said on Thursday, adding it was in touch with the other 16 Indian crew members still being held aboard the vessel.
The industry letter says “seafarers and the maritime sector are neutral and must not be politicized.”
“Given the continually evolving and severe threat profile within the area, we call on you for enhanced co-ordinated military presence, missions and patrols in the region, to protect our seafarers against any further possible aggression,” the letter added.
Hamas health ministry raises Gaza death toll to 34,012
Illustrative: Relatives mourn during the funeral of loved ones in ongoing fighting in Gaza, at a cemetery in Rafah, February 21, 2024. (Said Khatib/AFP)
Israel’s military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 34,012 Palestinians and injured 76,833 others since October 7, the enclave’s Hamas-run health ministry says.
The figures cannot be independently verified and include some 13,000 Hamas gunmen Israel says it has killed in battle. Israel also says it killed some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.
Two hundred and sixty IDF soldiers have been killed in the army’s Gaza ground operation.
Blinken says he’s made ‘determinations’ linked to human rights accusations against Israel
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a press conference on the last day of the G7 foreign ministers meeting on the Italian island of Capri on April 19, 2024. (Tiziana Fabi/AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he has made “determinations” regarding accusations that Israel violated a set of US laws that prohibit providing military assistance to individuals or security force units that commit gross violations of human rights.
The Leahy Laws, authored by then-senator Patrick Leahy in the late 1990s, prohibit providing military assistance to individuals or security force units that commit gross violations of human rights and have not been brought to justice.
Earlier this week, the ProPublica investigative news organization reported that a special State Department panel known as the Israel Leahy Vetting Forum had recommended months ago to Blinken that multiple Israeli military and police units be disqualified from receiving US aid on allegations of human rights violations.
Blinken has not taken action, ProPublica reported. The incidents that were the subject of allegations took place in the West Bank and mostly occurred before Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza began on October 7, the outlet said.
Asked at a news conference in Italy about reports that the State Department has recommended the cutting off of military aid to certain Israeli security force units over possible human rights violations in the West Bank, Blinken does not outright confirm the reports, but promised results very soon.
“I think you’re referring to the so-called Leahy Law and our work under that,” he responds. “So this is a very important law. And it’s one that we apply across the board. And when we’re doing these investigations, these inquiries, it’s something that takes time. That has to be done very carefully, both in collecting the facts and analyzing them.”
“And that’s exactly what we’ve done. And I think it’s fair to say that you’ll see results very soon. I made determinations. You can expect to see them in the days ahead,” Blinken says. He does not elaborate.
EU targets MK’s ex-aide, anti-Arab group headed by extremist designated by US in second round of settler sanctions
Elisha Yered, suspected of involvement in the death of 19-year-old Palestinian in the West Bank, arrives for a hearing at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, August 5, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The European Union announces its second round of settler sanctions, targeting two far-right organizations and two extremist Israeli activists involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Among the entities designated is the Lehava anti-miscegenation group, whose leader Benzi Gopstein was targeted in a separate round of settler sanctions announced by the US today.
Far-right Israeli activists Meir Ettinger, Elisha Yered, Neria Ben Pazi and Yinon Levy have also been designated by the EU.
Ettinger is the grandson of the late, extremist rabbi Meir Kahane, and a well-known hilltop youth activist who has long faced allegations of participation in violent attacks against Palestinians. Hilltop youth are known for establishing illegal outposts throughout the West Bank and sometimes clashing with IDF soldiers, Palestinians and the left-wing Israeli activists trying to protect them.
Yered previously served as a spokesperson to far-right MK Limor Son Har-Melech from Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party.
Levy and Ben Pazi were designated in one of the previous rounds of settler sanctions imposed by the US.
The EU, US and individual European countries have begun imposing sanctions on Israeli extremists this year amid growing frustration over Israel’s failure to clamp down on settler violence.
Senior PIJ terrorist killed in IDF raid of Tulkarem this morning – reports
Muhammad Jaber. (Screen capture/X)
Palestinian media outlets report that a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist was killed in the IDF’s raid in Tulkarem this morning.
Muhammad Jaber, known as Abu Shuja’a, was the commander of Islamic Jihad’s local wing in Tulkarem, the reports say.
He was one of several gunmen killed amid the operation in the city’s Nur Shams refugee camp.
⭕️استشهاد قائد كتيبة طولكرم في سرايا القدس وأحد مؤسسيها الشهيد محمد جابر "أبو شجاع" بعد محاصرة قوات الاحتلال مخيم نور شمس لأكثر من 18 ساعة ليلتحق بشقيقه الشهيد محمود. pic.twitter.com/Hqdhp115UZ
— إذاعة الأقصى – عاجل (@Alaqsavoice_Brk) April 19, 2024
Far-right activist Benzi Gopstein – a Ben Gvir ally – targeted by US in third round of settler sanctions
Lehava chairman Benzi Gopstein, right, and his attorney (now MK), Itamar Ben Gvir, left, arrive at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, June 8, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90, File)
Far-right activist Benzi Gopstein, a close ally to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, has been targeted in the third round of sanctions imposed by the Biden administration, which are aimed at clamping down on settler violence in the West Bank.
Gopstein is the founder and head of the Lehava anti-miscegenation group, “an organization whose members have engaged in destabilizing violence affecting the West Bank,” the US State Department says in a statement. “Under Gopstein’s leadership, Lehava and its members have been involved in acts or threats of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas.”
Gopstein was convicted in January of incitement to racism over comments.
He attempted to launch a political career in 2019, receiving a top spot in Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party before being disqualified by the Supreme Court over his past incitement to racism. Even though he is not a lawmaker, he has regularly been seen accompanying Ben Gvir in Knesset meetings over the past several years.
The decision to target Gopstein is part of a calculated decision by the Biden administration to target those in the political orbit of some of the Israeli government’s most extremist members, while holding off for now on sanctions against ministers such as Ben Gvir or Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich themselves, a US official tells The Times of Israel.
Concurrently, the Treasury Department designated two entities — the Mount Hebron Fund and Shlom Asiraich — for their roles in establishing fundraising campaigns on behalf of Yinon Levi and David Chai Chasdai, two US-designated extremists who engaged in violent activities targeting Palestinians and Israeli peace activists in the West Bank. The fundraising campaigns generated the equivalent of $170,000 for Levi and Chasdai, the Treasury Department says.
As a result of the sanctions, all US property and interests belonging to Gopstein, the Mount Hebron Fund and Shlom Asiraich have been blocked. Additionally, any entities that are owned by those sanctioned are blocked. Americans or those residing in the US who conduct financial transactions with or donate to those designated will themselves be exposed to sanctions. US Visa bans are also imposed against the extremist settlers who have been sanctioned.
“We are deeply concerned about the escalation of violence in the West Bank in recent days and call on Israel to take all appropriate measures to prevent attacks by violent extremist settlers and hold those responsible accountable. The United States will not hesitate to take additional steps to promote accountability if necessary,” the State Department adds.
Intel source tells CNN direct tit-for-tat between Iran and Israel is ‘over’
A handout image grab made available by the Iranian state TV, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), shows what the TV said was a live picture of the city of Isfahan early on April 19, 2024, following reports of explosions heard in the province in central Iran. (IRIB/AFP)
Direct state-to-state strikes between Israel and Iran are “over,” a regional intelligence source tells CNN.
The source speculates that Iran won’t respond to last night’s alleged Israeli strike in Isfahan.
Police arrest man who entered Iran consulate in Paris with apparent explosive vest, grenade – source
Troops prepare to enter the Iranian consulate in Paris on April 19, 2024. (Screen capture/X)
A man who had threatened to blow himself up at Iran’s consulate in Paris was arrested by police, a police source says.
French police earlier cordoned off the Iranian consulate, Reuters reporters saw.
A police source tells Reuters the man was seen at about 11 a.m. local time entering the consulate, carrying what appeared to be a grenade and explosive vest.
Man threatening to blow himself up outside Iranian embassy in Paris – reports
French police have cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris where a man is threatening to blow himself up, French radio station Europe 1 reports on X, formerly Twitter.
Police say they are on the scene and have asked the public to avoid the area.
Service has been interrupted on a nearby metro line for security reasons, according to RATP metro company.
IDF: 4 troops wounded, several Palestinian gunmen killed in West Bank raid
Israeli military vehicles drive along a devastated street in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank, during a raid on April 19, 2024. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP)
Several Palestinian gunmen were killed and four troops were wounded during a counter-terrorism raid in the West Bank’s Nur Shams refugee camp, close to Tulkarem, the military says.
The IDF says troops and Border Police officers raided Nur Shams overnight, during which several wanted Palestinians were detained, explosive devices were discovered, and several gunmen were killed in clashes throughout the morning.
According to Palestinian media, one person was killed and two others were wounded.
A soldier of the LOTAR unit and an officer of the Marom Brigade were moderately injured, and two soldiers of the Kfir Brigade’s Haruv reconnaissance unit were lightly hurt amid the operation, the IDF says.
Blinken says US committed to Israel’s security, wasn’t involved in any offensive
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a session during the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting on Capri Island, Italy, on April 19, 2024. (Gregorio Borgia/Pool/AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington is committed to Israel’s security, adding when asked about a reported Israeli strike on Iran that the US has not been involved in any offensive operation.
“I’m not going to speak to these reported events… All I can say is for our part, and for all the members of the G7, our focus is on de-escalation,” Blinken tells reporters after the G7 gathering in Italy.
Blinken also urges the rapid implementation of Israel’s humanitarian assistance commitments, saying while there have been some important steps taken, more sustained results are needed.
Hamas official: Israeli ‘aggression’ on Iran is an escalation against the region
Israel’s “aggression” on Iran is an escalation against the region, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri tells Reuters amid reports of an Israeli drone strike at an Iranian military site.
The Hamas terror group is part of the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance,” along with Lebanon’s Hezbollah and groups in Syria and Iraq.
Iranian president hails Tehran’s attack on Israel, fails to mention reported strike on Isfahan
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi hails Tehran’s unprecedented retaliatory attack on Israel almost a week ago, but fails to mention explosions heard in his country’s central region hours earlier.
That operation “showed our authority, our people’s will of steel and our unity,” Raisi tells hundreds of people in Semnan province, east of Tehran.
In the speech, he makes no reference to the blasts, and there has been no official reaction either from Iranian or Israeli officials.
State media says the blasts resounded early this morning in the central province of Isfahan.
Italian FM says Israel gave US ‘last minute’ warning about drone attack on Iran
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks to reporters during the final press conference at the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting on Capri Island, Italy, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
CAPRI, Italy (AP) — The United States told the Group of Seven foreign ministers that it received “last minute” information from Israel about a drone action in Iran early this morning, Italy’s foreign minister says.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who chaired the meeting of ministers of industrialized countries, says the United States provided the information at session this morning that was changed at the last minute to address the suspected attack.
Tajani says the US informed the G7 ministers that it had been “informed at the last minute” by Israel about the drones. “But there was no sharing of the attack by the US. It was a mere information.”
Early Friday, Iran fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones, part of an apparent Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country last weekend.
In a communique following the three-day meeting, the ministers urged the parties “to prevent further escalation.”
President calls on Israelis to leave an empty chair at Seder table for hostages
President Isaac Herzog delivers a video message ahead of the Passover holiday, April 19, 2024. (Screenshot, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Ahead of the Passover holiday, President Isaac Herzog calls on Israelis to leave an empty chair at the table during the Seder festive meal in memory of those who were murdered and kidnapped in Hamas’s October 7 massacre.
“There is no doubt that this year’s Seder night will be unlike any other Seder night,” he says in a video message featuring photos of over 100 hostages still held by terrorists in Gaza.
“Those who carry the pain and grief with them all the time are feeling it even more strongly ahead of Passover. For them, there is an empty chair with them every moment of the day, wherever they turn,” the president adds.
“Let us all embrace the bereaved families, the families of the hostages and the wounded and their families.”
Jordan warns against danger of regional escalation: ‘Israeli-Iranian retaliations must end’
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi says retaliations between Israel and Iran must end, warning against the danger of regional escalation.
“We warn against the danger of regional escalation. We condemn all actions that threaten dragging the region into war. Israeli-Iranian retaliations must end. The inhumane war on Gaza must end now. The focus of the world must remain on ending the catastrophic aggression on Gaza,” the Jordanian official says.
The comments come after reports of an Israeli strike on a military base in the Iranian city of Isfahan and amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
‘Drop food not bombs’: Dozens protest Gaza war at US embassy in Tel Aviv
Left wing activists demonstrate in front of the Branch Office of the US embassy in Tel Aviv, to demand the US to stop arming Israel and an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, on April 19, 2024. (Jack Guez/AFP)
A small crowd of left wing activists gather in front of the Branch Office of the US embassy in Tel Aviv, to demand the US to stop arming Israel and an end to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
Protesters hold banners reading, “Stop the bombing” and “Drop food not bombs.”
The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.
Russian FM: ‘We told the Israelis that Iran does not want escalation’
Russia has made clear to Jerusalem that Tehran “does not want escalation,” Moscow’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says after reports Israel had carried out retaliatory strikes against Iran.
“There have been telephone contacts between the leadership of Russia and Iran, our representatives and the Israelis. We made it very clear in these conversations, we told the Israelis that Iran does not want escalation,” Lavrov says in an interview with a Russian radio station.
With US still unconvinced by Israel’s evacuation plans, G7 opposes full-scale military operation’ in Rafah
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron (L) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken before a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting on Capri Island, Italy, on April 19, 2024. (Gregorio Borgia/Pool/AFP)
The Group of Seven industrialized nations voices opposition to a “full-scale military operation in Rafah” by Israel as that would have “catastrophic consequences on the civilian population.”
“We reiterate our call for a credible and actionable plan to protect the civilian population there,” the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations say in a statement after a meeting on the Italian island of Capri.
The statement comes after Israel and the United States wrapped up their second virtual meeting on a potential IDF ground offensive in Rafah still at odds last night, with the Biden administration unconvinced that Israel can safely evacuate and provide for the humanitarian needs of the more than one million Palestinians currently sheltering in the southernmost Gaza city.
According to the US readout, Israel agreed to take Washington’s concerns into account and to hold a follow-up meeting soon.
Court orders release of Hebrew University professor suspected of incitement
Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, who was arrested on suspicion of incitement, arrives for a court hearing at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, April 19, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court orders the release of Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, an Arab Israeli professor from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem who was arrested yesterday on suspicion of incitement.
The court rejects a police request to extend the professor’s remand, according to Hebrew media reports, saying that its findings did not justify the arrest.
Demonstrators protest in support of Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian who was arrested on suspicion of incitement, outside the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, April 19, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Demonstrators gather outside the courthouse to protest Shalhoub-Kevorkian’s arrest.
The criminologist and law professor was under investigation for questioning Hamas rapes and other atrocities during the October 7 attacks and saying that Israelis are “criminals” and “should be afraid.”
IDF: Troops spot Hezbollah cell in southern Lebanon, call in airstrike
The Israeli military carried out an airstrike on a building in southern Lebanon’s Ayta ash-Shab, where the IDF says Hezbollah operatives were gathered.
According to the IDF, the Hezbollah members were spotted by surveillance soldiers of the 869th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit, who then called in the strike.
תצפיתניות מגדוד 869 זיהו לפני זמן קצר מחבלים ששהו במבנה צבאי של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב עייתא א-שעב שבדרום לבנון,
כלי טיס של חיל האוויר תקפו את המבנה ואת המחבלים ששהו בו pic.twitter.com/OVZkB867qf— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 19, 2024
G7 calls on ‘all parties’ to prevent further Middle East escalation
An Indo-Pacific meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting on Capri Island, Italy, on April 19, 2024. (Gregorio Borgia/POOL/AFP)
G7 foreign ministers are urging “all parties” to “work to prevent further escalation” in the Middle East, following reports that Israel carried out a strike on Iran.
“In light of reports of strikes on April 19th, we urge all parties to work to prevent further escalation. The G7 will continue to work to this end,” the Group of Seven nations says in a statement after a meeting on the Italian island of Capri.
Several international airlines cancel flights to and from Israel — reports
Several international airlines cancel flights in and out of Tel Aviv, hours after reports of an Israeli strike on an Iranian airbase.
KLM, Swiss Air, Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa have canceled today’s flights to and from Israel, according to Channel 12.
Flight schedules were disrupted over the past week as airlines reacted to Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel overnight Saturday.
US officials say Biden considering $1 billion in new weapons deals for Israel — report
The Biden administration is considering more than $1 billion in new weapons deals for Israel, including tank ammunition, military vehicles and mortar rounds, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing US officials.
The officials say that deals including “$700 million in 120 mm tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and less than $100 million in 120 mm mortar rounds” are under consideration, and would need to be approved by Congress.
The weapons deliveries could take months or years to be fulfilled, according to the report.
There is no official US or Israeli confirmation of the report.
Protesters form human chain on Israel’s beaches to call for hostage release deal
Demonstrators on Tel Aviv's Gordon Beach join a human chain stretching from Habonim Beach to Rishon Lezion, to call for the release of hostages held since October 7 by terror groups in Gaza, April 19, 2024. (Dana Reany/Pro-Democracy Movement)
Family members of hostages held by terror groups in Gaza since October 7 are gathering on beaches along Israel’s coast to form a human train stretching from Habonim Beach to Rishon Lezion, some 85 kilometers (52 miles), in a call for the government to secure a hostage release deal.
On Tel Aviv’s Gordon Beach, protesters hold surfboards between them to extend the chain.
Ahead of the event, Shelly Shem Tov, whose son Omer Shem Tov was taken hostage by terrorists at the Supernova desert rave on October 7, called on the public to “come and stand with us quietly, without slogans.”
It is believed that 129 of the 253 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that. Three hostages have been rescued alive by troops, and the bodies of 12 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.
The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 34 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza. An additional person is listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is still unknown.
British PM declines to ‘speculate’ on reports of Israeli strike on Iranian soil
LONDON – British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declines to speculate on reports Israel carried out an attack on Iranian soil earlier this morning.
“It’s a developing situation, it wouldn’t be right for me to speculate until the facts become clearer and we’re working to confirm the details together with allies,” Sunak says in comments following a speech in central London.
“Significant escalation is not in anyone’s interest. What we want to see is calm heads prevail across the region,” he adds.
Photos on social media claim to show shrapnel from Israeli weapons found in Baghdad
Hours after a reported Israeli strike on an Iranian military site, photos circulate on social media purporting to show shrapnel from “Israeli armaments” found near the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad.
ברקע התקיפה הישראלית באספהאן שבאיראן, בעיראק מציגים שרידי "חימוש ישראלי" דרומית לבירה בגדאד pic.twitter.com/EPlLRNPnDe
— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) April 19, 2024
Explosions were heard near the Iranian city of Isfahan early this morning as Israel reportedly launched a heavily anticipated reprisal strike for an Iranian attack on Israel days earlier, defying international pressure to stand down.
There was no official confirmation of a strike from Israeli authorities.
State-run media in Iran reported only that air defenses were activated, downplaying claims of an attack on a military site in the city some 315 kilometers (196 miles) south of Tehran and describing the incident as business-as-usual.
Lapid slams Ben Gvir’s ‘unforgivable’ post on alleged Iran strike
Opposition leader Yair Lapid levels harsh criticism at National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, after the far-right lawmaker called an alleged Israeli strike on Iran “lame.”
“Never before has a minister in the security cabinet done such heavy damage to the country’s security, its image and its international status,” Lapid writes on X, formerly Twitter.
“In an unforgivable one-word tweet, Ben Gvir managed to mock and shame Israel from Tehran to Washington,” he charges.
Police to request extension on remand of Hebrew University professor suspected of incitement
Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, who was arrested on suspicion of incitement, arrives for a court hearing at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, April 19, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Police are expected to request an extension on the remand of an Arab Israeli professor from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem who was arrested yesterday on suspicion of incitement.
Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, a criminologist and law professor, is under investigation for questioning Hamas rapes and other atrocities during the October 7 attacks and saying that Israelis are “criminals” and “should be afraid.”
Shalhoub-Kevorkian will be brought before the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court later today.
China says it will play ‘constructive role’ to ease tensions after reported strike on Iran
China says it will “continue to play a constructive role to de-escalate” tensions in the Middle East after Iranian media reported explosions heard near the city of Isfahan and US media quoted officials saying Israel had carried out retaliatory strikes for Tehran’s missile and drone attack over the weekend.
“China opposes any actions that further escalate tensions and will continue to play a constructive role to de-escalate the situation,” foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian says.
China is a close partner of Iran, its largest trade partner, and a top buyer of its sanctioned oil.
The United States has repeatedly made public appeals for China to use its influence over Tehran to manage tensions in the region, which are currently turbocharged over the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Beijing’s top diplomat Wang Yi holds talks with his Iranian counterpart this week, with state media reporting that Tehran had said it was “willing to exercise restraint” after its first-ever attack on Israel’s territory.
EU Commission president calls on Israel, Iran to refrain from ‘further action’ after reported drone strike
BRUSSELS – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls on Iran, Israel and their allies to refrain from escalation in the Middle East, after sources said Israel carried out an attack on Iranian soil earlier this morning.
“It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides restrain from further action,” von der Leyen says alongside Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Lappeenranta, Finland, about 25 km (15 miles) from the Russian border.
IDF hits north Gaza rocket launch site, nearby weapons depot after last night’s attack on Ashkelon
Troops operate in the Gaza Strip in a photo cleared for publication on April 19, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Israeli aircraft struck some 25 targets in the Gaza Strip over the past day, including buildings used by Hamas, observation posts, rocket launch sites, and other infrastructure, the military says.
Following a rocket attack on the coastal city of Ashkelon last night, the IDF says its 215th Artillery Regiment shelled the launch site in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya, and the Israeli Air Force struck a nearby weapons depot.
The strikes come as the Nahal Brigade continues to operate in the IDF’s east-west Netzarim corridor.
According to the IDF, Nahal troops killed several gunmen in the area over the past day, including by calling in airstrikes.
Iranian media responds to Ben Gvir’s tweet: ‘The Israeli authorities are mocking themselves!’
Iranian state media responds to a social media post from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir a short while ago in response to an alleged Israeli strike near Isfahan, saying, “The Israeli authorities are mocking themselves!”
Ben Gvir’s one-word post in Hebrew, roughly translates to “lame” or “feeble.”
“The Minister of Internal Security of the Zionist regime wrote to the reports about the Isfahan incident: Weak!” semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim posts on X, formerly Twitter.
Oman posts condemnation of ‘Israeli attack’ on Iran
Oman, which has long mediated between Tehran and the West, condemns what it says was an “Israeli attack” on Iran, after Iranian media reports explosions heard near the city of Isfahan.
Oman “condemns the Israeli attack this morning on Isfahan… it also condemns and denounces Israel’s repeated military attacks in the region,” the country’s foreign ministry statement says in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
Italian FM: G7 countries urge ‘absolute de-escalation’ after reported strike on Iran
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani attends the G7 foreign ministers meeting on Capri island, April 18, 2024. (Remo Casilli /POOL/AFP)
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who is hosting a meeting of G7 counterparts, calls for a “absolute de-escalation” after reports that Israel carried out a strike on Iran.
“We invite everyone to be cautious to avoid an escalation,” he tells RAI news from Capri, adding that the G7 wanted an “absolute de-escalation” in the Middle East.
Gap between Netanyahu, Gantz continues to close, according to new poll
Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Benny Gantz. (Yonatan Sindel, David Cohen/Flash90)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party is continuing its trend of recovery after it dropped sharply following Hamas’s October 7 attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza, according to a new poll.
If elections were held today, Likud would get 21 seats — up from 16 earlier in the war but still far from the 32 seats it currently holds — the Maariv poll finds.
The survey, conducted by Panel4All with 500 respondents, was carried out between April 17 and 18, before reports of an alleged Israeli strike on Iran in response to the weekend’s missile and drone attack.
The gap between Netanyahu and his main opponent, National Unity chair Benny Gantz, is also closing, according to the survey, with the latter leading by a margin of just five percent.
In terms of blocs, the Maariv poll gives a narrow lead to the opposition with 65 seats, while Netanyahu and his hardline, right-wing allies get 50 seats.
The survey gives Gantz’s National Unity party 31 seats, opposition leader Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid 13 seats and Avigdor Liberman’s Israel Beytenu 12 seats.
Senior Iranian official: No immediate plans for retaliation against Israel
Iran has no plan for immediate retaliation against Israel, a senior Iranian official tells Reuters, hours after sources said Israel launched an attack on Iranian soil.
“The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack,” the Iranian official says on condition of anonymity.
Iranian officials say air defenses shot down three drones a few hours ago, triggering sirens.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Syrian state media says Israel hit air defense systems overnight
Israel struck Syrian air defense systems in southern Syria overnight, state media says.
The official SANA news agency, citing a military source, says the missile strike at approximately 2:55 a.m. caused “material losses.”
Tokyo’s Nikkei drops over 1,000 points, the most in 3 years, after reports of Israeli strike on Iran
Tokyo’s key Nikkei index suffers its largest drop in more than three years, following reports that Israel carried out strikes on Iran and after US tech stocks fell.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index ends down 2.66%, or 1,011.35 points, to 37,068.35, marking its largest fall in points since February 2021.
UK minister says he hopes de-escalation still possible after alleged Israeli strike in Iran
Britain’s Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride says he hopes that de-escalation between Israel and Iran is still possible, responding to reports Israel launched an attack on Iranian soil early this morning.
“Whilst we don’t know the details at the moment, my hope is that whatever has happened is of a nature where de-escalation can now be the way forward,” Stride tells GB News.
“This is clearly an emerging story,” the UK minister says, while noting that “Israel has a right to self defense.”
'We do feel the focus now should be on de-escalation.'
Work and Pensions Secretary, Mel Stride MP, reacts to American officials claiming that Israel have launched an attack on Iran.
???? Become a GB News Member: https://t.co/mNsRsGC8ef pic.twitter.com/Nwg0qoPPQ3
— GB News (@GBNEWS) April 19, 2024
UN atomic watchdog confirms no damage to Iranian nuclear sites after alleged Israeli strike
The United Nations atomic watchdog confirms that there is no damage to Iranian nuclear sites after an alleged Israeli drone attack early this morning.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi “continues to call for extreme restraint from everybody and reiterates that nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts,” the body posts on X, formerly Twitter.
The watchdog adds that it is closely monitoring the situation.
IAEA can confirm that there is no damage to #Iran’s nuclear sites. DG @rafaelmgrossi continues to call for extreme restraint from everybody and reiterates that nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts. IAEA is monitoring the situation very closely. pic.twitter.com/4F7pAlNjWM
— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) April 19, 2024
Mini drones were flown by ‘infiltrators’ inside Iran, analyst tells state TV
Mini drones shot down by air defenses in Isfahan were flown by “infiltrators from inside Iran,” an Iranian analyst tells State TV, after sources say Israel launched an attack on Iranian soil.
Iranian officials claim no damage was caused in the alleged strike.
UK maritime security firm: Ships transiting Gulf, Western Indian Ocean should stay alert
DUBAI – British security firm Ambrey advises merchant vessels transiting the Gulf and Western Indian Ocean to stay alert in case of increased uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) activity in the region.
Ambrey says it received information that indicated an “Israeli military strike” was conducted on Isfahan, Iran.
Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency had said it had seen similar reports but that there were no indications commercial maritime vessels were the intended target of the strike.
Oil prices also jumped as high as $3 a barrel in reaction to reports of the strike, sparking concerns that Middle East oil supply could be disrupted. Brent crude gives up some of those gains, trading up 1.85% at $88.74 at 0551 GMT after reaching a high of $90.75.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported three explosions near an army base in the central city of Isfahan. An Iranian official told Reuters there was no missile attack and the explosions were the result of the activation of Iran’s air defense systems.
Ben Gvir on Twitter after alleged Israeli drone strike on Iran: ‘Lame’
As Israelis wake up to news of a reported strike on a military base near the central Iranian city of Isfahan, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir posts one word in Hebrew on X, formerly Twitter, best translated as: “Lame.”
Firebrand Likud MK Tally Gotliv also appears to respond to the reports, posting on X, “Good morning dear people of Israel. A morning on which our head is held high with pride.”
“Israel is a strong and powerful country. May we regain the power of deterrence,” she writes.
Iranian TV channel shares video purporting to show Israeli drone attack
A London-based Iranian news channel has published footage purporting to show an alleged Israeli drone strike on a military base near Isfahan.
Air raid sirens and explosions can be heard in an unverified video posted to X, formerly Twitter.
Iran International has obtained videos in which shots and sirens are heard, amid reports of an Israeli strike in Iran and the activation of air defenses in Isfahan.pic.twitter.com/BwVfukeWfP
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) April 19, 2024
Alleged drone strike in Isfahan meant to send message Israel can strike inside Iran — official
An Israeli official tells the Washington Post that a reported Israeli drone strike on an Iranian military site early this morning was meant to send a message to Iran that Jerusalem can strike inside the country.
The report comes as Iranian media reports no damage in the apparent strike.
Tehran’s two major airports resume flights after reported Israeli drone attack — Iranian state media
Tehran, Iran – Tehran’s two major airports have resumed flights, state media reports, following a brief suspension after explosions were heard in the central Iranian city of Isfahan.
“Flights through Imam Khomeini and Mehrabad airports have resumed,” the official IRNA news agency reports.
Australia advises citizens to leave Israel, Palestinian territories if ‘safe to do so’
Australia tells its citizens to leave Israel if possible, citing a “high threat of military reprisals and terrorist attacks,” issuing a similar warning for the Palestinian territories.
“We urge Australians in both Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories to depart if it’s safe to do so,” the Department of Foreign Affairs says in a travel advisory update.
Australia’s government had previously told citizens to avoid travel to both areas if possible and, if concerned, to leave.
This more urgent warning comes after Iran’s massive drone and missile barrage on Israel over the weekend and a reported Israeli strike on a military base in Isfahan overnight.
“Military attacks may result in airspace closures, flight cancellations and diversions and other travel disruptions,” Australia’s diplomats say.
“Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport may pause operations due to heightened security concerns at any time, and at short notice.”
Iranian senior commander: No damage caused in overnight attack — state TV
No damage was caused in the overnight attack, a senior commander of Iran’s Army Siavosh Mihandoust is quoted as saying by state TV, adding that the noise heard overnight in Isfahan was due to air defense systems targeting a “suspicious object.”
The statement comes amid reports of an alleged Israeli strike on a military airbase near the Iranian city of Isfahan.
Syrian activist group claims strikes hit military radar position in south
A Syrian activist group says strikes hit an army position in the south of the country early this morning.
“There were strikes on a Syrian army radar position,” says Rayan Maarouf, who runs the Suwayda24 anti-government website that covers news from Sweida province in the south.
IDF: Drone alert sirens in Upper Galilee this morning were false alarms
Suspected drone infiltration alarms that sounded this morning in the Upper Galilee were false alarms, the military says.
Sirens sounded earlier this morning in northern communities near the Lebanon border, including Alma, Rehaniya, Dalton, Baram, Avivim, Yir’on and Kerem Ben Zimra.
Iranian state media downplays reported Israeli attack, shows calm scenes in Isfahan
A handout image grab made available by the Iranian state TV, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), shows what the TV said was a live picture of the city of Isfahan early on April 19, 2024, following reports of explosions heard in the province in central Iran. (IRIB/AFP)
State media in Iran shows morning scenes from Isfahan, downplaying a reported Israeli strike on a nearby airbase and claiming that the Islamic Republic’s air defenses shot down three drones overnight.
Analysts on Channel 12 describe the news reports as propaganda, making comparisons to official programming supporting the communist regime in the former Soviet Union.
Other analysis say that Iran hasn’t yet had time to assess the impact of the reported strike.
“It will take them time to work out what happened,” former IDF spokesperson Avi Benayahu adds during the broadcast.
Dubai’s low-cost airline cancels flights to Iran after receiving official alert
Dubai’s flydubai airline has canceled flights to Iran after receiving an official alert.
“In line with the issued NOTAM (notice to air missions), our flights to Iran today have been canceled,” the low-cost carrier says in a statement sent to AFP.
The cancelation comes amid reports of an Israeli drone strike on a military base in Iran.
Iranian official says military shot down 3 Israeli drones
Iranian air defenses have shot down three drones, allegedly launched by Israel, according to Iran’s space agency.
“They said that we fired 500 suicide drones and missiles… now they respond with three of these quadcopter, all of which were shut down,” Iran’s space agency spokesman Hossein Dalirian writes on X.
“They just say that they didn’t inform America before,” he adds with emoji smiles, in an apparent jab at recent tensions in relations between Israel and the United States amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Strike in Iran targeted military air base near Isfahan — NYT
The New York Times quotes three Iranian officials confirming that a strike hit a military air base near Isfahan, without saying what country carried out the attack.
Two Israeli military officials tell NYT that Israel was behind the strike.
Israel notified US that it intended to attack Iran in next 24-48 hours — report
The US was not involved in Israel’s strike in Iran, NBC News reports, citing “a source familiar with the situation.”
Bloomberg, meanwhile, quotes two unnamed US officials who say Israel gave the US a heads-up Thursday that it planned to attack in the next day or two.
Iranian officials are telling local outlets and Reuters that there was no successful missile strike, and that any explosions were the result of Iran’s missile defenses.
US Embassy in Jerusalem issues security alert after reported Israeli strike in Iran
The US Embassy in Jerusalem issues a security alert to employees and their family members restricting their travel to the Tel Aviv, Beersheba and Jerusalem areas, citing “an abundance of caution following reports that Israel conducted a retaliatory strike inside Iran.”
The employees are allowed to travel between the three cities.
IDF, PM’s office won’t address US reports that Israel carried out strike in Iran
Israel’s military tells AFP that “we don’t have a comment at this time” when asked about reports of explosions and strikes in Iran and Syria.
The Prime Minister’s Office refuses to confirm to The Times of Israel that Israel is behind explosions in Isfahan.
Meanwhile, US officials are telling American news outlets that Israel carried out the attacks.
Iran media: Nuclear facilities in Isfahan ‘completely secure’
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s local media says that nuclear facilities in the central city of Isfahan were “completely secure” after explosions were heard near the area.
“Nuclear facilities in Isfahan province are completely secure,” Tasnim news agency reports, quoting “reliable sources.”
Iran space agency says several drones ‘successfully shot down,’ adds ‘no missile attack for now’
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran says it shot down several drones and that there had been “no missile attack for now” on the country, after explosions were heard near the central city of Isfahan.
Several drones “have been successfully shot down by the country’s air defense, there are no reports of a missile attack for now,” Iran’s space agency spokesman Hossein Dalirian says on X.
The Fars news agency said “three explosions” were heard near the Shekari army airbase near Isfahan.
Israeli strike on Iran ‘limited’ in scope, not targeting nuclear facilities — reports
Israel told the US that it is not targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, CNN reports, citing a senior US official.
There are several sites affiliated with Iran’s nuclear program in and around Isfahan.
CNN also quotes a US official saying the explosions in Iran are Israel’s response to Iranian attacks over the weekend. The official adds that the Israeli strikes are meant to be “limited” and would target Iranian military sites, while avoiding civilian and nuclear targets.
Fox News similarly cites “a well-placed military source” describing the strike as “limited.”
Sirens sound in towns near Lebanon border due to suspected hostile aircraft
Warning sirens sound in numerous northern communities near the border with Lebanon as the IDF Home Front Command instructs residents to take shelter, due to the suspected entry of a hostile aircraft into Israel’s airspace.
GOP Senator Rubio: Israel can strike Iran without entering its airspace
Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), February 25, 2022, in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
In comments on X, Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida says that “Israel has the ability to conduct strikes against targets inside Iran without entering Iranian airspace from aircraft over Syrian and Iraqi airspace.”
In the post published shortly after reports came in of an alleged Israeli strike in Iran, Rubio suggests that IDF planes managed to avoid being shot down in Iranian airspace by firing at the Islamic Republic from beyond its borders.
There are no indications, however, that Rubio was briefed on Israel’s strike ahead of time.
Iran’s Khamenei marks 85th birthday amid reported Israeli strike
As Israel reportedly strikes Iran, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei marks his 85th birthday.
Khamenei, who has been Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, is the Middle East’s longest serving ruler.
Citing a pair of US officials, CBS News says that an Israeli missile struck an unidentified site in Iran, backing up an earlier report from ABC News.
Israeli officials have yet to comment.
Meanwhile, Army Radio says a number of senior Israeli security officials are currently at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. The IDF-run outlet also reports that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has declared the highest level of readiness at all its bases.
Iran state news agency says air defense batteries activated across several provinces
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran has fired air defense batteries after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news agency reports.
It remains unclear if the country is under attack. However, tensions remain high in the wider Middle East after Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel.
IRNA says the defenses fired across several provinces. It doesn’t elaborate on what caused the batteries to fire, though people across the area report hearing the sounds.
The semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies reported the sound of blasts, without giving a cause. State television acknowledged “loud noise” in the area.
Travelers at Tehran airport told all flights cancelled
Announcements in Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport tell travelers that all flights are canceled, and instructs passengers to leave the airport, in footage circulating on Iranian social media.
Flights coming into Tehran have also been turning around
Iran state media reports flights suspended over Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran
Iran has suspended flights over several cities including the central city of Isfahan, where state media earlier reported explosions were hears near its airport.
“Flights over Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran cities have been suspended,” state media reports.
Iran news agency reports explosions heard at Isfahan airport, says cause unknown
Iran’s Fars news agency says that explosions have been heard near the airport at the country’s central Isfahan city, but the reason is unknown.
“The cause of these sounds is still unknown, and investigations continue until the exact details of the incident are determined,” the semi-official Fars news agency says.
Several Iranian nuclear sites are located in Isfahan province, including Natanz, the centerpiece of Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
According to CNN, several flights have been diverted over Iranian airspace.
The reports come days after Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles in a retaliatory attack after a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria killed several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers, including two generals.
Most of the drones and missiles were downed before reaching Israel, which has vowed to respond to the Iranian attack.
Israeli missiles struck site in Iran, US official tells ABC News
Israeli missiles have struck a site in Iran, a US official tells ABC News.
The US network says the official cannot confirm reports on strikes in Syria and Iraq.
London cop threatens Jewish man with arrest for his ‘antagonizing’ presence at anti-Israel march
A screenshot from video released by the Campaign Against Antisemitism shows a London Metropolitan Police officer threatening a Jewish man with arrest because his presence is "antagonizing" to pro-Palestinian demonstrators at an anti-Israel march in London, April 13, 2024. (X video screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Video from last Saturday’s weekly march in London against Israel shows a British police officer physically preventing a man in a kippah from crossing the street during the demonstration, citing his “openly Jewish” presence among the pro-Palestinian protesters.
In the footage release by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, the officer can be seen using his arm to block the Jewish man while telling him, “If I can ask to stay there please.”
In response, the man tells him, “I don’t want to stay here, I want to leave.”
“Well in that case sir, when the crowd is gone I’ll happily escort you out,” the officer says, while continuing to prevent the man from getting around him. “I don’t want anybody antagonizing anybody.”
“At the moment sir, you are quite openly Jewish. This is a pro-Palestinian march. I’m not accusing you of anything, but I am worried about the reaction to your presence,” the officer adds.
Later in the video, another officer is seen telling the man that if he doesn’t agree to be escorted from the area, he’ll be arrested.
“If you choose to remain here, because you are causing a breach of the peace with all these other people, you will be arrested,” the officer warns. “Your presence is antagonizing a large group of people.”
“You are quite openly Jewish. This is a pro-Palestinian march. I am not accusing you of anything, but I am worried about the reaction to your presence.”
Enough is enough. It is time for a major change.
On Saturday 27th April — the next anti-Israel march — we are asking you,… pic.twitter.com/lfJr7UZnif
— Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) April 18, 2024
Pentagon chief again speaks with Gallant to discuss Iran, Gaza aid
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on April 14, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin again spoke with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to discuss Iran’s actions in the Middle East, other regional threats and aid into Gaza, the Pentagon says in a statement.
Austin discussed “the importance of increasing and sustaining” the flow of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, including via a new route from Ashdod Port in Israel, the Pentagon says.
Israel to open third crossing into northern Gaza later this month — senior officials
Illustrative: Trucks enter the northern Gaza Strip via a new land crossing, April 11, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Israel will open a third crossing into northern Gaza later this month, two senior officials tell The Times of Israel.
The Zikim Crossing will join the Erez Crossing and Gate 96, which were respectively opened earlier this month and in March
Zikim will serve as the main route for aid to northern Gaza, as Erez and Gate 96 are less suited thoroughfares for large amounts of trucks, a senior Israeli official explains.
Additional operational crossings into northern Gaza will be critical if Israel goes ahead with plans to launch a mass ground invasion of the enclave’s southernmost city of Rafah, which Jerusalem says is essential for dismantling Hamas’s remaining battalions and defeating the terror group.
The offensive would likely cut off the Rafah Crossing, Gaza’s main aid opening since the beginning of the war,.
This will make opening additional crossings essential in order to ensure that the 1.4 million Palestinians who Israel is looking to evacuate from Rafah will be able to continue receiving aid.
S&P cuts Israel’s long-term credit ratings as budget deficit balloons amid threats
The headquarters of US financial company Standard and Poor's (S&P) in lower Manhattan, New York, May 2014. (mixmotive via iStock by Getty Images)
Ratings agency S&P Global cuts Israel’s long-term ratings to A-plus from AA-minus after the confrontation with Iran heightened last weekend and amid the already elevated geopolitical risks for Israel.
“We forecast that Israel’s general government deficit will widen to 8% of GDP in 2024, mostly as a result of increased defense spending,” S&P Global says in its statement.
Israel, US remain at odds after second virtual meet on potential IDF op in Rafah
Palestinians gather around a huge crater following an overnight Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip's southernmost city of Rafah on April 18, 2024. (Mohammed Abed/AFP)
Israel and the United States remain at odds after holding a second virtual meeting regarding a potential IDF ground offensive in Rafah.
The White House readout is nearly identical to the one it issued after the first meeting on April 1, saying that the sides share the objective of seeing Hamas defeated in the southernmost city of Gaza but that the “US participants expressed concerns with various courses of action in Rafah.”
Once again, the White House readout says that Israel agreed to take Washington’s concerns into account and hold a follow-up meeting soon.
Today’s virtual meeting — headed by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on the US side and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Council chair Tzachi Hanegbi on the Israeli side — began with a discussion regarding the recent Iranian strike on Israel.
Sullivan reviewed “the collective efforts to further enhance Israel’s defense through advanced capabilities as well as cooperation with a broad coalition of military partners and briefed the Israeli side on new sanctions and other measures that began today, in coordination with Congress and G7 capitals.”
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