JERUSALEM, Israel – Jerusalemites (those who could sleep) awakened on a beautiful Sunday morning to silence, except for the sound of chirping birds.
It followed a night of uncertainty throughout the country, with the sound of explosions and warning sirens shattering the post-midnight calm, as Iran launched more than 300 drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles at Israel in Tehran's first direct attack.
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No Israeli fatalities were reported, although a nine-year-old Bedouin girl was said to be seriously wounded by a missile near the southern city of Arad, and the Nevatim military base, also in southern Israel, sustained slight damage.
Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Daniel Hagari said 99 percent of the drones were intercepted, with help from the U.S. the U.K., and Jordan. He explained that of 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles launched, none reached Israeli airspace.
Still, the uncertainty remains and is heightened by reports that President Joe Biden says the U.S. will not support an Israeli counter-attack against Iran.
Multiple news outlets reported that Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israel should view the successful defense against the missile attack as a "win," and that the United States, presumably out of fears that the United Nations would be enmeshed in a wider war, would not take part in an Israeli military response.
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The founder of NGO Monitor, Gerald Steinberg posted on X, "No, @Joe Biden. The Iranian regime's failure to do major damage with 350 missiles is not a "win" – 9 million Israelis spent the night being terrorized. The regime must pay a major price so that this will not be repeated."
Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, also criticized the White House on X, writing, in part, “Deterrence by denial is the Biden administration’s operating philosophy. Deterrence by punishment is anathema." He added, “So keep shooting at America and its allies until something gets through.”
Biden is organizing a G7 "diplomatic" response to what the administration called "Iran's brazen attack."
Sunday morning, hours after his reported half-hour conversation with President Biden, Netanyahu issued a short statement on social media saying, "We intercepted. We blocked. Together we will win."
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At this stage, Israeli officials have maintained relative silence about how, when, and with whom Israel will respond to Tehran.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant conducted an operational briefing Sunday morning and stated, "The campaign is not over yet – we must remain alert and attentive to the instructions published by the IDF and Homefront Command. We must be prepared for every scenario. Having said this, we have thwarted the most significant wave [of the attack], and we did so successfully.”
Israel's Airport Authority announced Sunday that the country's airspace had reopened after being closed overnight, but flight schedules at Ben Gurion Airport would be subject to change.
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