It was one of the largest missile attacks on Israel. Twice as big as the last one in April. Iran fired 181 missiles at Israel. It was revenge for Israel's killing of the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. According to the Israeli security authority, most of the missiles were shot down by Israeli air defense systems.
Some matches without spectators, team training as usual
Because the Iranian missiles failed to hit significant targets, there were no Israeli casualties. Two people were injured.
– The irony of fate is that fragments of Iranian rockets killed one Palestinian living in Jericho – tells us Dani Porath, a journalist of the sports television Sport5. Our interlocutor argues that the missile attack did not cause any damage to infrastructure. – There is some damage to the highway and buildings, but in cities it is more about broken windows – he adds. Its editorial staff reported, among others: about the situation of a famous football agent. The windows in his house were cracked. It was supposed to be caused by falling rocket fragments. Mostly, these fragments also destroyed the roofs and walls of several buildings.
– We knew about the attack several hours earlier. There were messages to stay at home in safe places. The attack itself lasted almost 2 hours, but then life quickly returned to normal. There are of course some restrictions, there are no mass events here and there, but this is how everyone works and functions normally – he says. Porath reports it as if, after Iran's massive action, Israel just dusted itself off and moved on.
Rockets didn't stop the world either sports. Sporting events in the north and center of the country will be held without spectators for a while for safety reasons. In turn, the competition in the south of the country and the Middle East will be accompanied by fans. The next league football round is planned with almost no disruptions. The location of two or three will probably be changed matches to a more secure one.
Football fans were unlucky again, because on the day of the attack there was supposed to be an interesting match in Jerusalem between Beitar and Maccabi Haifa. – Authorities leagueknowing about the evening attack, game They have postponed it for the second time, says the journalist. The Israeli national football team will start training camp in a few days important Nations League matches with France and Italyas planned, will meet at its center in Netanya, located in the central part of the country. Israel plays host games abroad, in Budapest, but this has been known for a long time after Israeli troops entered the Gaza Strip.
The drama of the Olympic silver medalist. “The terrorists were right next to me”
Much more painful for the Israelis is what happened just before the rocket attack near Bloomfield Stadium, where, among others, they play their matches. Hapoel and Maccabi Tel Aviv. It was there that two men from the Palestinian Authority with knives and an automatic gun started shooting at people. It all happened at the city train station.
-It was at my station, from which I go to the editorial office every day. 7 people died and 9 were injured in this attack – Porath describes to us. – There are flowers there now. This is our sad reality, we live in a jungle – he comments. Our interlocutor was not on site at that time. There was no large event at the stadium, although Hapoel activists organized a small meeting there. Several of them were stuck in the facility because the police closed the entire area. She was also very lucky silver Olympic medalist from Paris in rhythmic gymnastics (team) Diana Svartsov. The athlete was riding in a train with two terrorists. She was returning home from training.
– They were right next to me. One of them looked at my Olympic necklace and smiled at me – she later reported to the N12 portal. – They didn't look like terrorists. There was no reason to be suspicious. I had no idea what was going to happen next, she described.
When the train arrived at the station near the stadium, many people got out of the cars. Terrorists too. Then Svartsov noticed that one of the men getting off pulled out a rifle.
Shoes covered in blood and legs made of cotton wool
– He shot the first person he saw right before my eyes. I started running away, there were people of all ages around, including children. I saw a terrorist shoot another man and then I was on the street. My legs felt like jelly, I couldn't move. Suddenly a man appeared, threw me to the ground, we hid behind something. He said to be quiet. There were several people there. We heard shots around us, she reported. The gymnast managed to do it safely to get home even though her shoes were covered in blood, because a tragedy had happened around her. – I was still shaking and couldn't open the door. I saw my mother and cried in her arms. I barely had time to understand what had happened when the missile alarms started, she said. In addition to the medal from Paris, Svartsov also won the European team championship and was runner-up at the world championship in rhythmic gymnastics.
The perpetrators of the attack, as reported by the Times of Israel, “have been neutralized.” After Tuesday's attacks, Israel announced a decisive response.