Israel-Hamas War Day 196: Israel strikes Iranian air base

Israel targeted the defense system of the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran during its strikes Friday morning, ABC quoted a senior American official as saying.

The Israelis were targeting an air defense radar site near Isfahan that’s part of the protection of the Natanz nuclear facility," ABC said, in the name of the official. 

"The first assessment is that the strike took out the site, but assessment hasn’t been completed, the official said."

The official noted, however, that the strike was meant to send a signal to Iran about Israeli capabilities, but not to escalate the situation. 

A general view of the Bushehr main nuclear reactor, Iran (credit: REUTERS/RAHEB HOMAVANDI)

Iran has downplayed the attack's significance

The attack, which Israel has not claimed credit for, was launched in response to the aerial barrage of ballistic missiles and attack drones that Iran sent to Israel last Saturday night following an airstrike in Damascus, widely attributed to Israel, that killed a senior officer in Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The officer was connected to Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy that has been attacking Israel almost daily since Hamas's attack on October 7.

In the hours since the strikes in Iran Friday morning, Iran has downplayed their effect and significance, declining to directly point the finger at Israel and announcing that no damage was done to any nuclear sites. The International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) also reported that no damage was done to nuclear sites, and there were no reported casualties. 

A huge blast rocked a military base used by Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to the south of Baghdad late on Friday, army sources told Reuters.

Significant strikes were carried out overnight between Friday and Saturday against targets of Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, south of Baghdad, as reported by Saudi-owned Al-Hadath network. Additionally, Iraqi media claimed that the attack was carried out by a number of drones targeting a military base belonging to the militias.

According to reports, during the attack, two separate waves of strikes were conducted. Two PMF sources claimed that the strikes did not lead to casualties but caused material damage.

PMF sources said the strikes targeted a headquarters of the PMF at the Kalso military base near the town of Iskandariya around 50 km south of Baghdad.

According to Saudi Al-Hadath, the attack was carried out by three F-35 jets. An American official claimed the attack was conducted outside Iran's territory. However, another report by CNN stated that no significant damage was recorded at the site. The attack took place near Osfia, located in Iran.

US mission in Syria and Iraq

On January 2024, a US airstrike foiled an attack on Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts US and other international forces in western Iraq. According to US military sources, a rocket launcher was fixed to a small truck that was parked east of the base with rockets ready to be fired.

US PRESIDENT Joe Biden looks on during a presidential campaign event in Scranton, Pennsylvania, this week. ‘Mr. president, I believe you carry within you a deep emotional and spiritual commitment to the Jewish people and the State of Israel,’ says the writer. (credit: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

With 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 more in Iraq, the US claimed their mission is to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State.

The Iraqi militia PMF is an Iranian backed militia and is numbered more than 100,000 fighters. After ISIS's defeat in Iraq, the militia became an official government-paid force linked to the Iraqi Interior Ministry. The newly official force began stockpiling missiles and drones and to operate more freely in Syria, threatening US and Israeli forces.

In 2020,  an American strike killed Suleimani on a trip to Baghdad. The Guards Intelligence Department suspected that an informant from the PMF provided details about Suleimani’s trip. This lead to his successor, Ismail Ghani, decision to create a force that was fiercely loyal to the regime.

Reuters contributed to this report.

The Israel Air Force struck Hezbollah military infrastructure in the areas of Mansour and Aitaroun in southern Lebanon on Friday, the IDF said in a statement.

Friday morning, the statement went on, three launches of projectiles were detected heading toward Kibbutz Yiftah in northern Israel. There were no casualties or damage, the IDF said. 

The IDF attacked the sources of the fire with artillery, it said. 

IDF attacked Hezbollah military structure in Ayta ash Shab

Friday afternoon, the IDF attacked a military structure belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization and where terrorists were staying in southern Lebanon early Friday morning in Ayta ash Shab.

An Israeli Air Force F-35 flies during an aerial demonstration at a graduation ceremony for Israeli air force pilots at the Hatzerim air base in southern Israel, June 27, 2019. (credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)

IDF observers from the 869th Battalion had recently identified the terrorists in the infrastructure, which was attacked using aircraft.

On Thursday, two anti-tank missiles hit a building in the area of Kibbutz Yiron Thursday evening, N12 reported. There were no casualties, but damage was caused to the building, and Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for the missiles.  

United Airlines on Friday canceled its daily flight from Newark, New Jersey to Tel Aviv in Israel through May 2 due to security concerns after Israel's apparent strike on Iran.

The carrier said a scheduled second flight from Newark to Tel Aviv has also been canceled until May 18. Germany's Lufthansa also called off all flights to Tel Aviv and Erbil until Saturday and said it would fly around Iraqi airspace during the period.

Israel launched an attack on Iran on Friday, according to sources. But Tehran played down the incident and indicated it had no plans for retaliation, a move that appeared gauged towards averting region-wide war.

United's move expands on its announcement from earlier this week, in which it canceled Monday's planned flight.

‘RIBBONS OF Return,’ 2024. A warplane streaks across the sky above a graveyard of cars, remnants of the massacre. The plane crafts a ‘Bring them home’ ribbon in the sky. (credit: CHEN SCHIMMEL)

Global travel disruptions

Global airlines have already been facing disruptions to flights after Iran's missile and drone attacks on Israel further narrowed options for planes navigating between Europe and Asia.

United was the first major carrier to resume its daily non-stop service between New York and Tel Aviv on March 2, while Delta Air Lines plans to resume flights to Tel Aviv on June 7.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said drones that sources say Israel fired at the city of Isfahan on Friday caused no damage or casualties, in comments made to the envoys of Muslim nations in New York and cited by Iranian media.

"The Zionist regime's media supporters, in a desperate effort, tried to make victory out of their defeat, while the downed mini-drones have not caused any damage or casualties," Amirabdollahian was quoted as saying.

Tehran has indicated it has no plans for retaliation. Israel has made no public comment on the incident.

An unmanned aerial vehicle exploded on Friday in Metula, having fallen without any sirens sounding, according to a preliminary report that could not be confirmed. 

The Israel Air Force struck Hezbollah military infrastructure in the areas of Mansour and Aitaroun in southern Lebanon on Friday, the IDF said in a statement.

Earlier today, the statement went on, three launches were detected of projectiles heading toward Kibbutz Yiftah in northern Israel. There were no casualties or damage, the IDF said. 

The IDF attacked the sources of the fire with artillery, it said. 

In two recent surveys, the Likud Party and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have received the highest levels of support since the Oct. 7 massacre. In the first war, conducted by Maariv, the Likud party has reached a new high since the onset of the conflict, marking significant gains in public support. The poll, spearheaded by Lazar Research in collaboration with Panel4All, indicates that Likud now holds 21 seats, a peak since the Swords of Iron War began on October 7. This surge came amidst ongoing tensions and the recent thwarting of an Iranian attack.

The survey also highlights a tightening race for Prime Minister, with Benny Gantz receiving 42% of the support compared to Benjamin Netanyahu's 37%. The gap between the two has significantly narrowed, with Gantz's lead shrinking from 12% to just 5% over the past week.

According to the Maariv survey, the National Union Party leads with 31 seats, while the dramatic shifts in public opinion reflect the volatile political landscape in Israel during this tumultuous period. The survey included 500 respondents, representing a cross-section of Israel's adult population, with a maximum sampling error of 4.4%.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem on March 31, 2024. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/POOL)

Shifting sentiments 

In a separate but mandated survey by Direct Polls published on Channel 14 this week, a shift in public sentiment shows Gantz's National Union declining sharply, from over 40 seats to just 22. Meanwhile, Likud would garner 26 seats if elections were held today, showing a different aspect of political dynamics. Additionally, the coalition parties would have 58 seats versus 52 for the opposition, including 10 seats shared between Ra'am and Hadash-Ta'al.

Nearly 200 days after Hamas kidnapped their loved ones on October 7, families of the eight Israeli-American hostages are growing frustrated as the White House has yet to present an alternative strategy for securing the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. 

Ruby Chen, father of 19-year-old Itay Chen whose body was taken into Gaza after being murdered on October 7, reiterated the families' appreciation for the Biden administration's access and communication which he said is unprecedented. 

But as Hamas continues to turn down the deals put on the table, Chen is asking for plan B. 

"We're still waiting to hear what other alternatives the US administration has planned," Chen said. 

The families are also hearing the administration's frustration with Hamas as they rejected the latest deal, which Ronen Neutra, father of 22-year-old hostage Omer Neutra, said was accepted by all parties including Egypt, Qatar and even Israel who agreed to accept hard terms. 

Sergeant Itay Chen (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Yet Hamas rejected it, Neutra said. 

"This obviously is very concerning, and the administration is forced to think about creating ways to try and bring Hamas back to the table," Chen said. "And help us get a deal that we all are so interested in, in order to see our kids back home and our families back home as soon as possible."

The families are calling on the international community to move the pressure onto Sinwar. 

"He's the obstacle, he's the problem," Chen said. 

Hersh Goldberg-Polin

Rachel Goldberg, mother of 23-year-old hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, questioned the silence from leaders of the 25 other countries whose citizens make up the remaining hostages. 

She also questioned the absence of the interfaith community from their efforts as the hostages are comprised of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. It gets lost in the noise that these people are diverse, Goldberg-Polin added. 

"We need to galvanize people from all over the world, whether you have someone who is being held there from your country or not," Goldberg-Polin said. "My question for you on the Eve of Passover in a few days is, where are you?"

Sagui Dekel-Chen

Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of 35-year-old hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, said the world became an even more dangerous place after Israel fired on Isfahan, Iran early Friday morning.

We've come to this place as a result of a chain reaction that began with Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, Dekel-Chen said. 

"Our entire region has been in danger and there's been immense suffering. We're completely aware and feel the need for relief for the citizens of Gaza. They are our neighbors," Dekel-Chen said. "And one day, perhaps, there can be peace."

Dekel-Chen said the one way to de-escalate what has become an international event that endangers much of the world is to release the 133 hostages. This is something the international community must engage in, he said. 

Dekel-Chen said they're asking the international community to bring "some kind of relief to the people of Gaza, to bring some sense back to this world and to restrain countries like Iran that had been working behind the scenes until now to create this scenario."

Abigail Mor Edan

Liz Hirsh Naftali, great-aunt of released American hostage Abigail Mor Edan, joined the press conference en route to the Bar Mitzvah of the younger brother of Israeli-American hostage 19-year-old Edan Alexander. 

"I bring it up to remind everybody through everything that's been said, that these are human lives," Naftali said. "These are individuals whose families have been broken and are separated, and they try to keep going on as they fight for the release of their loved ones."

"As we all throughout the world celebrate Passover, each of these families and hundreds more will not be able to have their loved ones at the table with them," Naftali added. "They will not be able to hug them, they will not be able to celebrate once again." 

Relatives of those held captive by Hamas in Gaza and protesters who support a deal to release them blocked Highway 1, the main highway connecting Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and the West Bank, on Friday, with burning barrels. 

The protesters carried banners and signs, chanting into megaphones "Alive, alive! We want them alive!" "Shame!" and "Deal now!"

"אוזל להם הזמן - עסקה על השולחן": משפחות חטופים חוסמות את כביש 1 לכיוון ירושלים@NOFARMOS pic.twitter.com/G7F31b3Id9

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 19, 2024

Protesters accused Israeli leaders of sabotaging hostage negotiations. "Even when they say that we are in critical moments, the feeling is that you don't know who to believe, that Netanyahu and the members of the cabinet are torpedoing deals left and right," one protester said.

It's now or never, protesters say of a deal

"If [a hostage deal] doesn't happen now, it will be a long and difficult situation in which they will not return alive. None of them. There is no revival for our country if they do not return.

"No one wants to raise children and draft them into the IDF knowing that if they are kidnapped, [Israel] will not return them home."