In the central city of Tel Aviv, some 100,000 people waved Israeli flags, lit torches and beat drums, according to Israeli media.
“We will keep demonstrating to show them that even if they have paused in the reform plan, we will stay mobilised – they will not be able to pass laws on the sly,” said Ilit Fayn, a 55-year-old dentist.
Netanyahu’s government, a coalition between his Likud party and extreme-right as well as ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, argues the proposed changes are needed to rebalance powers between legislators and the judiciary.
Critics say it will grant the government unrestrained power and upend the country’s system of checks and balances.
The plan would weaken the judiciary and limit judicial oversight on laws and government decisions, which critics say directly threatens civil rights as well as the rights of minorities and marginalised groups.
Protests have continued even though the government and opposition are in talks to find a compromise on the plan.
Israel’s war on Gaza updates: Iran sends drones, missiles towards Israel
- Iran’s UN mission says its attack, in response to an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria, is “concluded”, warns Israel against retaliation.
- The Israeli army says Iran has launched several drones against Israeli territory, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says it also launched missiles against Israel.
- Gaza’s media office says 19 were killed and more than 200 wounded in six major Israeli army attacks in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza over the last 24 hours.
- Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank as a missing teenage settler is found dead.
- At least 33,686 Palestinians have been killed and 76,309 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attacks stands at 1,139, with dozens of people still held captive.
A look at what happened today
We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a quick recap from today:
- Air raid sirens are sounding across Israel as Israel’s air defence system actively intercepts incoming Iranian attacks in the skies above Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
- Iran’s mission to the UN says its drone and missile attack on Israel was a response to Israel’s April 1 attack on its embassy in Damascus, Syria and that the “matter can be deemed concluded”.
- Netanyahu has convened Israel’s war cabinet with military spokesperson Daniel Hagari describing the attack as “a severe and dangerous escalation”.
- US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson says President Biden is being “regularly updated” and that Iran’s “attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours”.
- The drone attacks were reported on Saturday night shortly after Hamas said it had handed its response for a ceasefire proposal in Gaza to mediators in Egypt and Qatar.
We’ve been looking out from the balcony here across the Jerusalem skyline. And we’ve seen a succession of air defence interceptors going up from various points around the city to meet targets in the sky.
And now the police seem to be going around on the streets in their cars with an announcement going out which is telling people to go to their nearest air raid shelters as quickly as they can.
The military has been telling people that the air defence systems that Israel has – that’s the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow 2 and 3 – are very capable systems designed to deal with multiple types of threats.
It’s a layered air defence system to deal with rockets, to deal with ballistic and cruise missiles and to deal with drones as well.
And that is what we’re likely to be seeing over the next few minutes and hours as these different waves of projectiles come in.
The big test of course, for this layered air defence system is, [can it] cope with an assault of this magnitude, because this is not something that Israel has faced before, on this scale.
RAF jets deployed to intercept any airborne attacks in Middle East: UK MoD
The Ministry of Defence says British Royal Air Force jets in the Middle East “will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required” after Iran targeted Israel with drones and missiles.
“In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks,” it said in a statement.
Top US Democrat condemns ‘unprecedented’ attack on Israel
Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader in the US House of Representatives, has voiced support for Israel.
“Iran, a sworn enemy of the United States, has launched an unprecedented attack against our democratic ally, the State of Israel,” Jeffries said in a statement.
“America’s commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad and unbreakable. Iran will not succeed. We stand with the people of Israel during this moment of significant challenge.”
Hezbollah launches ‘dozens’ of rockets at Golan Heights
The Iran-aligned Lebanese group says on its Telegram channel that it targeted the air and missile defence headquarters of the Israeli army in the “Keila barracks” in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights with dozens of Katyusha rockets.
The Israeli military has been carrying out attacks in southeast Lebanon as well in recent hours and there is escalation on the Israel-Lebanon border.
More than 100 drones intercepted outside Israeli territory: Report
Israeli army radio reports that more than 100 drones were intercepted outside Israeli territory with assistance from the US and UK.
Reuters reported separately that the US military shot down Iranian drone aircraft headed towards Israel, quoting three US officials, without disclosing how many drones were shot down or the precise locations.
Iran strikes on Israel an ‘unprecedented escalation’: Borell
The European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, has condemned Iran’s strikes on Israel as an “unprecedented escalation”.
“The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable Iranian attack against Israel,” he wrote on the platform X.
“This is an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security.”
Borrell and the EU also condemned Israel’s April 1 attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria.
Israeli military instructs residents of high-risk areas to stay close to bomb shelters
The military issued a warning that residents of the occupied Golan Heights, Nevatim, Dimona and Eilat stay “near protective spaces until further notice”.
Nevatim is the site of an Israeli airbase. Israel has a nuclear reactor on the outskirts of Dimona. Eilat is Israel’s southern Red Sea port, which has come under repeated attack by Yemen’s Houthis throughout the war in Gaza.
Houthis launch drones at Israel in coordination with Iran: Security agency
We can now report that Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched multiple drones at Israel in coordination with Iran, according to the security firm Ambrey.
The company added that the projectiles were likely timed to reach Israel simultaneously.
“Unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs] were reportedly launched by the Houthis toward Israel. The UAVs were launched in coordination with Iran,” Ambrey stated.
“Israeli ports are assessed to be potential targets,” it added and warned of “collateral damage” to shipping.
US National Security Council says attack on Israel will unfold over several hours
NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson says: “President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation by his national security team and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House.
“This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours.
“President Biden has been clear: Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad. The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defence against these threats from Iran”.
Iran has launched direct attack from Iranian soil: Israeli military
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari has issued a statement in which he said: “We are closely monitoring Iranian killer drones that are en route to Israel sent by Iran.
“This is a severe and dangerous escalation. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran”. Read more News
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