‘It was a difficult night for Israel’: Opposition leader
Israeli opposition politician Yair Lapid has expressed his condolences for the deaths of three Israeli citizens killed by Iran’s overnight attack.
He said in a post on X: “It was a difficult night for the State of Israel, but we must continue to follow and adhere to the Home Front Command’s instructions. I support our security forces in their efforts to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens.”
Israel says Iran will ‘pay a heavy price’ for missile barrage
Israel Katz has warned “Tehran will burn” if Iran continues firing missiles. Speaking after an assessment meeting with the army’s chief of staff, the defence minister said Iran will pay “a heavy price” for harming Israelis.
Katz directly addressed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “The Iranian dictator is taking the citizens of Iran hostage, bringing about a reality in which they, and especially Teheran’s residents, will pay a heavy price for the flagrant harm inflicted upon Israel’s citizens. If Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn,” Katz said in a statement.
Israel’s Ben Gurion airport closed until further notice
Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport is closed until further notice, a spokeswoman says, as Israel and Iran continue to trade fire for a second day. “There is no date or day set to reopen the airport,” airport spokeswoman Lisa Diver said.
Images from the airport showed deserted check-in counters and passenger lounges while flight information boards indicated all flights were cancelled. Other countries in the region, including Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, said they’re reopening their airspace on Saturday.
Israeli army says 7 soldiers wounded in Iran missile strike
The military says the soldiers were injured in a ballistic missile attack on central Israel in the early hours as Tehran carried out retaliatory strikes on its archrival following Israel’s attacks.
They were taken to hospitals and have since been released, according to a military statement. This is the first confirmation of Israeli military casualties since the escalation of hostilities between Iran and Israel began two days ago.
Israeli public united in mission to halt Iran’s nuclear programme
Israeli affairs analyst Dan Perry says the public is largely united behind efforts to target Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, viewing it as a rare point of national consensus. “There definitely is trepidation and understanding that Iran has capabilities that are far beyond what Israel has experienced from the Houthis and even Hezbollah,” Perry told Al Jazeera.
Despite the losses, Perry described the prevailing sentiment in Israel as one of “cautious optimism about success in a mission that enjoys consensus”. “Israelis don’t agree on much but that Iran’s Islamic Republic government should not have a nuclear weapon is perhaps the only thing to make them come around.”
