Israelis prepare for Iran attack : NPR

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

Iran has vowed retaliation in opposition to Israel after the assassination of a Hamas chief in Tehran final week. The senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps stated as we speak that Israel can count on a, quote, “crushing response.” Israel is bracing for that response. NPR’s three correspondents there are unfold out across the space, together with Kat Lonsdorf, who joins us now from Jerusalem. Hello, Kat.

KAT LONSDORF, BYLINE: Hey, Ailsa.

CHANG: OK. So what’s it like in Jerusalem proper now? Like, what are you listening to from folks?

LONSDORF: Properly, I imply, it is just about enterprise as regular right here. You realize, the lodge we’re staying at, which is in central Jerusalem – it is fairly full. Persons are within the eating places. And as we speak the pool was packed, though I’ll say that the upkeep workers right here had been hanging up indicators in all of the hallways pointing to the closest shelter, so it wasn’t precisely an atypical day. We took a stroll across the neighborhood, and folks had been out having espresso, getting dinner, together with Hani Zakin, who was out buying along with her younger son.

HANI ZAKIN: (Talking Hebrew).

LONSDORF: She instructed me, you realize, “what must occur will occur. And it is a very, very unhealthy scenario, however we now have to go on dwelling.” She says she was right here in Jerusalem again in April, when Iran despatched a whole lot of missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for a strike on its consulate in Damascus. Israel shot most of these down, a lot of them over right here in Jerusalem. And there wasn’t actually a lot injury in any respect. She says that gave her a way of safety, particularly going into this unsure time. However she additionally acknowledged that, right here in Jerusalem, it is usually extra calm, not like within the north, for instance, the place there are quite a lot of sirens and rockets every single day.

CHANG: Yeah. Let’s speak about that. I imply, we now have groups unfold out all through Israel.

LONSDORF: Yeah.

CHANG: What’s the sense exterior of Jerusalem?

LONSDORF: Properly, like Hani Zakin identified, within the north, it is totally different. That space has been bombarded consistently with rockets from Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and Israel has been combating again. You realize, our colleague Hadeel Al-Shalchi is in Haifa within the north, and the streets there are fairly empty, she says. She talked with the municipality there, the place they’re getting ready for the worst, stockpiling shelters with meals, water, mills. She stated that individuals there have been somewhat fearful but additionally usually calm. They stated that they are fairly used to this. You realize, there’s the identical sense that no matter might be might be, and there is not a lot we are able to do about it.

CHANG: Properly, what will we learn about how the Israeli authorities is getting ready at this level?

LONSDORF: Yeah. So as we speak Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened Israel’s safety chiefs to debate the scenario. He is been having practically every day safety conferences for the previous week. The Israeli army has stated time and time once more for months now that they’re absolutely ready for any scenario, and whereas the intention is to not escalate the battle, they’re ready for that as effectively. And extra broadly, the U.S. is shifting fighter jets and warships to this area as backup. Keep in mind; the U.S. helped Israel shoot down a lot of these missiles and drones that Iran launched again in April, and lots of of these had been in Jordanian airspace, which is a robust U.S. ally. So as we speak President Biden spoke on the cellphone to Jordanian King Abdullah, they usually each urged the significance of de-escalation and calm.

CHANG: Properly, all of the rhetoric across the Iranian retaliation makes it appear imminent. Is there any concept of what to anticipate?

LONSDORF: Properly, we now have some clues. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken instructed his counterparts on the G-7 yesterday that the assault might begin as early as as we speak, which is among the causes we’re all bracing over right here. And Israeli intelligence officers have instructed NPR they count on the assault will focus primarily on army targets in Israel. And whereas they are saying it could be much like the assault in April, which lasted just a few hours, they’re anticipating this one to be longer.

CHANG: That’s NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf in Jerusalem. Thanks a lot, Kat.

LONSDORF: Thanks.

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