Today, Sunday, Agence France-Presse reported testimonies from Israelis in occupied Jerusalem in which they described the Iranian airstrikes by Iranian missiles and drones as terrifying, and others living near the Lebanese border also expressed their fears of an outbreak of war.
Last night, Iran launched what it calls Operation “True Promise” using drones and missiles against Israel, following the bombing of its consulate in Damascus in early April that killed 7 Iranian Revolutionary Guards, including General Mohammad Reza Zahedi.
While residents of occupied Jerusalem woke up to almost normal movement in its main market and train and bus stations, Ayala Saland (48 years old) said, “The situation raises terror because we are afraid of what is happening, the bombing. And airplanes.”
Saland added, “We are very grateful to the coalition that is helping us, because most of the marches and missiles have not reached Israel. We hope that the escalation will stop soon.”
Two Western intelligence sources said on Sunday that Israeli and US warplanes had shot down most of the Iranian drones that passed through Syrian airspace.
Technical excellence
For his part, Yishai Levy (67 years old) emphasized that Israel once again demonstrated technological superiority and handled the situation remarkably.
Sharin Avraham (age 31) also believed that “fighting a country is a different kind of war” and that a response from Israel is needed. “Iran's attack should not go unnoticed. We have to respond because Iran is a country, and we have to appear strong,” he stressed.
In turn, Gill – who declined to give his full name – indicated that there was “no big fear”. “It was positive to see the West standing by us and helping us intercept missiles and drones,” the thirty-year-old added.
In northern Israel, near the Lebanese border, residents expressed their fears. Wahib Khalila said: “There is a fear of something unknown and unspecified, we are not on an island.”
A retired nurse (age 68) from Majd al-Kram in the western Galilee added, “We fear the outbreak of a war that will affect daily life and economic livelihoods.”
US network CNN quoted an Israeli official as saying that Israel would retaliate against the Iranian attack, but he stressed that the scope of the response had not yet been determined, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also promised that Israel would prevail.
