Iran has attacked Israel with drones, says Israeli military

Iran on Saturday evening launched drone attacks at Israel, according to the Israeli military.

The Israeli military said that these drones are expected to arrive in Israel in the next few hours and the Israeli military is tracking them.

While initial reports said dozens of drones were launched, Axios quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that the Iranian attack included “hundreds of attack drones”.

An Iranian attack on Israel had been considered imminent for days. Iran had vowed to punish Israel for the killing of a top general in an airstrike on the country’s diplomatic mission in Syrian capital Damascus on April 1.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in Hebrew: “A short time ago, Iran launched an unmanned aerial vehicle from its territory towards the territory of the State of Israel. The IDF is on high alert and forms a situational picture at all times. The air defense system is on high alert at the same time as the Air Force planes and Navy ships that are on a mission to protect the country’s skies. The IDF is monitoring all targets.”

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לפני זמן קצר איראן שיגרה כלי טיס בלתי מאויישים משטחה לעבר שטח מדינת ישראל.

צה"ל נמצא בכוננות גבוהה ומגבש תמונת מצב בכל עת. מערך ההגנה האווירית נמצא בכוננות גבוהה במקביל למטוסי חיל האוויר וספינות חיל הים שנמצאים במשימת הגנה על שמי המדינה.
צה"ל במעקב אחר כלל המטרות>>

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 13, 2024

Separately, IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed the Iranian launches and said that the global positioning system (GPS) in Israel will be disrupted across the country as part of a strategy to intercept the drones, according to The Times of Israel.

Shortly before the first wave of Iranian attack was confirmed by the Israeli military, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message that “whoever harms us, we will harm them”, as per The Jerusalem Post.

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The report further quoted him as saying that Israel had been preparing for years for an attack from Iran and such preparation had only increased in recent weeks.

“We will protect ourselves from any threat and we will do so with steadfastness and determination. Together we will overcome all our enemies…Our defense systems are deployed. We are prepared for any scenario, both in defense and attack,” said Netanyahu and urged Israelis to listen to the government directives and thanked Israel’s allies such as the United States, France, and the United Kingdom for their support, as per the report.

In the wake of the Iranian attack considered imminent, US President Joe Biden had assured Israel of “ironclad” support. Reports have also said that the US would provide military and intelligence support to any confrontation and is also expected to help Israel take down any missiles or drones.

Earlier, Netanyahu had also said that any attack on Israeli soil will be met with a retaliatory strike on the attacker’s soil.

Any attack by Iran on Israel will be a first and will the biggest escalation since the Middle East crisis began in October 2023 when Hamas mounted an all-out attack on Israel and the country went to war against Hamas in Gaza.

After the first wave of Iranian drones were launched, reports surfaced that a second wave of drones was also on its way. The Times of Israel cited Iranian media reports as saying that a second wave had been launched as well.

Earlier in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, Iraq and Jordan shuttered their airspace and Israel is also expected to shortly close its airspace.