Israeli civilians are calm and resuming their lives after hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles were intercepted before reaching the Jewish state.
Speaking to the JC from Herzliya, Debbie Fenton, who is visiting Israel, said life was “completely normal” on Sunday morning.
"My husband went for for walk at 8.30, the cafés were open, the beach was open. Everything was back to normal. Israelis are used to it. They’re used to being attacked; it’s normal life for them.”
Debbie and her husband had prepared for an Iranian attack by preparing their bomb shelter on Friday, she said.
"On October 7, you had no idea it would happen. Here, you knew they were launching rockets and you prayed Israel was ready, but you didn’t know. It was very scary.”
She added: "I think Israel is an incredibly resilient, strong country. Imagine if this happened in the UK. Nobody would be out; everybody would be in their homes.”
A man reads as he has his coffee at a café in Jerusalem the morning after Iran attacked Israel (Photo: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP)
Ayala Salant, a resident of Jerusalem, told AFP News Agency: "The situation is really frightening because we are afraid of what happens and all of the bombing and aircraft that are coming.
“However, we are very, very happy with the alliance that helped us because most of the aircraft and missiles have not arrived to Israel. We hope that there will be a stop to this ongoing escalation soon.”
Writing on social media, Lord David Wolfson said his octogenarian parents were maintaining “their British stiff upper lips” while staying in Jerusalem.
Messaging him on Sunday morning, his mother, Rosalind, wrote: “We had no disruption at all. Apparently there was a siren at 1am, but we both slept through it. With double glazed windows, metal exterior blinds and fabric interior blinds, siren didn't wake us up.
"All quiet at the moment. Dad has been to the fruit shop. He has a lunchtime appointment at Maccabi to remove wax from his ears. Will get cabs both ways.”
My parents (in Jerusalem and in their 80s - may they be well) appear to have brought their British stiff upper lips to Israel … (perhaps once his ears are de-waxed, my Dad might actually hear the air-raid siren …)#KeepCalmAndCarryOn pic.twitter.com/EJhVYeR301
— David Wolfson (@DXW_KC) April 14, 2024
On Sunday, Jerusalem residents stocked up on supplies and took cover in anticipation of the Iranian attack.
Liyahu Barakat, a grocer, told the Times of Israel his neighbourhood was “empty” and everybody was “running home”.
Many people had visited his shop to buy extra water, food and other supplies, he said.
In an interview with AFP News Agency, dentist Michael Uzan said he expected life to be disrupted for several days in Jerusalem.
He said: “No work tomorrow. Even meetings, everything is cancelled. For children, schools are closed. I have a daughter who was supposed to take an important exam tomorrow, but everything is cancelled.”
Speaking on Sunday, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari warned Israelis to be prepared for an attack.
“I remind you that no matter where the threat is launched from, when an alarm sounds, you must enter the shelter and wait there for no less than 10 minutes,” he said.
In Beer Sheva, a seven-year-old girl remains in a life-threatening condition after shrapnel from an intercepted ballistic missile fell on her family's home in a Bedouin town in the southern Negev region.
Police inspect the remains of a rocket booster that critically injured a seven-year-old girl (Photo: Reuters)
The child, who was the only person in Israel to sustain significant injuries in the Iranian attack, has undergone surgery for a head wound and is now in intensive care.
Mohammed, her father, said: “It fell on us into the house at around two in the morning. She was sleeping in the house and we immediately took her to Soroka hospital.”
Eight other people are said to have been injured in the incident.
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