Army orders school closures
Israel and the USA expect an Iranian attack
April 13, 2024, 9:18 p.m
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Schools are closed, gatherings of people in “conflict zones” are restricted: Israel is taking concrete measures in anticipation of an Iranian attack. The USA also assumes that an attack is imminent and is preparing.
Israel is specifically preparing for a possible attack by Iran or its allies. Defense Minister Joav Galant said they were “very closely monitoring a planned attack” by Iran or “its proxies.” The minister assured that Israel’s security forces had prepared accordingly and had strengthened “our offensive and defensive posture.” No further details are given in a statement from the minister. The population should follow the instructions of the civil defense, it goes on to say.
At the same time, the Israeli army announced the temporary closure of schools in the country because of the feared attack. From Sunday, the first day of the week in Israel, “teaching activities, trips and excursions” at schools or other educational institutions will be suspended, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a video address.
Homeland Security also posted additional instructions on its website. These should begin on Saturday evening and initially last for 48 hours. Accordingly, a maximum of up to 1,000 people are allowed to take part in meetings in areas that are not close to the Gaza Strip or Lebanon. In the so-called conflict zones, up to 30 people are allowed to gather outside and up to 300 people inside. At work, citizens should ensure, especially in these areas, that they can quickly reach a shelter if necessary.
The USA, Israel’s most important ally, has also classified the threat of attack as realistic. US President Joe Biden said on Friday that he expected an Iranian attack on Israel to take place “sooner rather than later”. Meanwhile, Biden cut short a weekend trip to the state of Delaware and went to Washington for urgent consultations. As the White House explained, the president’s discussions with his security team will focus on the situation in the Middle East.
US criticizes “acts of piracy”
The US also continued to increase its military presence in the Middle East. “We are deploying additional units to the region to strengthen regional deterrence and improve the protection of U.S. forces,” said a U.S. Department of Defense official.
Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, threatened Israel on Wednesday with retaliation for an attack attributed to Israel on an Iranian consular building in the Syrian capital Damascus. At the beginning of April, 16 people were killed. These included two generals from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and five other members of the elite force.
The US government also called on Iran to release a merchant ship that had been seized during the night. “We call on Iran to immediately release the ship and its international crew,” said National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson. Watson added: “Hiring a civilian vessel without prior provocation is a blatant violation of international law and an act of piracy by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard seized the merchant ship in the Strait of Hormuz that night and justified this with a “connection” to Israel. The Italian-Swiss shipping company MSC confirmed the seizure and said there were 25 crew members on board the ship.