4/13/2024–|Last updated: 4/13/202411:12 PM (Mecca time)
Israel put all its forces on alert and took many internal measures in anticipation of a possible Iranian strike, while an American official confirmed to Al Jazeera that there is a high possibility that Iran will launch its attack on Israel during the first hours of tomorrow, Sunday.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation announced that the Minister of Defense Yoav Galant Conducts a security assessment with the Chief of Staff and senior leaders of the security establishment.
Israeli official radio reported an emergency meeting tonight of the mini-ministerial council to discuss the possibility of Iran launching an attack.
Gallant had said earlier on Saturday that Israel was “closely awaiting a possible attack” on it by Iran and its allies in the region, without providing details about the nature of this threat.
Postpone and cancel
For its part, Maariv newspaper reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz postponed his scheduled visit tomorrow to Hungary and Austria due to developments in the security situation.
On the other hand, the Home Front in Israel announced the cancellation of educational activities and the ban on gatherings of more than a thousand people, starting tonight and for two days.
In this context, Al Jazeera’s correspondent said that the protest leaders in Tel Aviv announced on Saturday the end of the demonstration that was protesting the Prime Minister’s policy. Benjamin Netanyahu It demands an early prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance due to new instructions for the home front.
Today, Saturday, Israel canceled school trips and other youth activities that were scheduled in the coming days with the beginning of the Passover season.
Army spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari said – while announcing the measures in a press conference broadcast on television – that dozens of fighter planes were conducting patrols as part of a state of alert.
In a related development, the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Authority announced the temporary closure of the country’s airspace to aircraft movement, starting tonight. She explained that the closure of the Kingdom’s airspace will continue for several hours, and the decision will be updated according to developments.
Washington warns
On the other hand, an American official told Al Jazeera that there is a high probability that Iran will launch an attack on Israel during the early hours of tomorrow, Sunday. The official explained that Iran may launch its attack from its territory against targets in Israel with the participation of its agents in Iraq and Syria, he said.
The American official stressed that the United States will defend Israel and will seek to confront the potential Iranian attack, expressing Washington’s deep concern about the possibility of Iran launching a large-scale attack on Israel.
He added: “Our additional military capabilities are now in place and ready to confront any attack from Iran and its agents.”
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed – today, Saturday, during a call Austin made with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant – that “Israel can rely on Washington in the face of any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies,” he said.
In this context, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that he discussed with his Israeli counterpart the situation in the Middle East, and “I renewed our strict commitment to Israel’s security.”
A while ago, he said White House The American President Joe Biden He decided to cut short his weekend in Delaware and return to Washington to consult with his national security team about events in the Middle East.
At the same time, the White House said that Iran must release the detained ship immediately, after it was announced Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Detention of an Israeli cargo ship during an airdrop near… Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media indicated that the ship is partly owned by an Israeli businessman.