This is an escalation.

According to the official announcement of the Israeli army (IDF), Iran launched a drone attack against the country. Spokesman Daniel Hagari announced in a televised address that Iran had sent a dozen unmanned, so-called suicide drones into Israeli airspace. (Since then, more than 300 drones and rockets have been deployed in the news.) Both Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Guard have announced that they have launched an operation against Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the war cabinet.

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On Saturday night, Iran launched a drone attack against Israel, announced the spokesman of the Israeli army, Daniel Hagari. In a televised address, the admiral said that dozens of unmanned drones had been launched towards Israel and that they were working to prevent them from reaching the country's airspace.

We are prepared for every scenario. Our fleet and air force are also on full alert to neutralize drones. Sirens will sound everywhere they can enter the airspace. Our task is to prevent this.

Hagari also said that the drones launched by Iran - it is not yet known whether they are ballistic missiles or combat drones - will reach Israel's airspace in several hours. Following the announcement, Israel closed its airspace, as did Iraq, Egypt and Lebanon. In Iraq's Sulaymaniyah province, several drones coming from Iran and heading towards Israel were seen, the Reuters news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Guard, an armed unit of the Iranian armed forces, announced that it had attacked various Israeli targets with drones and missiles. Hezbollah also took responsibility for the attack, and they even launched operations against Israel, according to reports. Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that ballistic missiles were also launched in the direction of Israel. Iran's Defense Minister, General Mohammad Reza Astiani, stated that any country that opens its airspace to Israel or assists it in attacking Iran can expect a harsh response.

Meanwhile, in the capital of Iran, Tehran, residents started heading for gas stations because they expect the country to run out of fuel, fearing a further escalation of the conflict with Israel.

A state of emergency was declared in Jordan, Israel's neighbor, the country's airspace was closed, and the army was put on the highest level of alert.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, convened the war cabinet in Tel Aviv, the prime minister's office announced. The cabinet expects, in line with US intelligence, that Iran will launch more than a hundred drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles in the direction of Israel. According to the military expert speaking to ABC, it is possible that 4-500 rockets will be launched towards Israel in order to overwhelm the country's air defense system. (According to the most recent report, more than 300 drones and missiles were launched by Iran.) It is also not ruled out that they targeted government targets, not civilian or religious buildings.

Shelters have been opened in Haifa, in the northern part of Israel, according to a CNN correspondent who was on the spot, calling on the population not to panic, but to take care of themselves and be careful. At the kibbutzim in the northern part of the country, air raid sirens have already sounded, citizens have been directed to shelters and advised to stay there for at least ten minutes.

 The President of the United States, Joe Biden, is meeting with the National Security Council in the White House, the American President is constantly receiving the latest news from Israel.

Donald Trump said on his own social media platform that “this should never have been allowed to happen. This would never have happened if I were the president!".

Analyst: there was no precedent for such an attack

According to the security policy expert speaking to Sky News, there have been tense points in the war in Gaza since October 7, but the current situation is by far the most dangerous.

According to the expert, it is unprecedented that Iran directly attacked Israel.

If the drones and missiles are neutralized, there will be no (or very few) civilian casualties, Israelis will feel vulnerable, and the Israeli government will most likely launch a retaliatory strike. If cruise missiles were indeed deployed, that would color the picture even more.

The so-called suicide drones reach Israel's airspace after about nine hours of flight, and because they fly low, they are harder to spot on radar. Iran is no stranger to drone attacks: in 2019, such suicide drones struck a Saudi oil rig. No one was injured, but they caused millions of dollars in damage to the Saudis in the oil trade. According to the security policy expert, the strike against Israel will be even more sophisticated.

Péter Szijjártó: Hungarian citizens in trouble should report to the consular service

On Saturday evening, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó published a short announcement on his social media page. The head of the ministry asked Hungarian citizens who might be in trouble to report to the consular office. Péter Szijjártó also confirmed that Jordan's airspace is closed, and that Israel's will soon be closed as well.

The Hungarian foreign minister stated without any doubt that "Hungary strongly condemns the rocket attack launched against Israel".

According to him, this action brings with it the danger of escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, which poses a serious threat to global security.

Viktor Orbán convened the Defense Council

They were prepared for the attack, the foreign minister postponed his visit to Hungary

Relations in the Middle East have become particularly tense in recent days, after Israel carried out an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria, the targeted attack killing one of the commanders and his deputy of the Revolutionary Guard. After the strike two weeks ago, it was clear that a regional escalation would follow, the only question was its timing. The Israelis were prepared for this, as they ordered the army to be on full alert on Saturday evening.

The Interior Command also changed its security guidelines, banning educational activities across the country and limiting outdoor gatherings to 1,000 people. In the coming days, school trips and other youth activities planned for the beginning of the Passover holiday have also been banned by the Interior Command, Sky News wrote

The US defense secretary and the Israeli defense minister held talks on Saturday amid ongoing threats of an Iranian attack on Israel. The Pentagon said Lloyd Austin and Joáv Gallant discussed "urgent regional threats" and the United States' "unwavering support." This happened after Iranian commandos seized a cargo ship bound to Israel and its 25-person crew on Saturday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz postponed his visit to Austria and Hungary planned for Sunday due to a possible Iranian retaliatory strike against his country. The visit, during which Jiszrael Katz was supposed to meet Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and President Tamás Sulyok, was postponed until further notice.

At dawn, the numbers arrived, and Iran announced that the case was considered closed

In the meantime, reports have arrived from Israel about the number of attacks Iran launched, and the Iranians also issued a statement - according to the latest report, more than 300 drones and missiles were deployed.

This is how world leaders reacted

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, also condemned it and called on Iran and its proxies to stop these attacks immediately, but she also warned the Jewish state with a wink, saying,

all actors must refrain from further escalation and work to restore stability in the region”.

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, also condemned the attack and drew attention to the fact that

everything must be done to prevent further regional escalation. Further bloodshed must be avoided."

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted that "the situation in the Middle East does not currently pose a direct threat to Poland, but

the world stands on the edge of the abyss”.

Index / Civilians. Info

Drone attack in Israel on April 14, 2024. Photo: Amir Cohen/Reuters