Hezbollah fires missile at southern city of Ashdod; debris from interception triggers sirens in Tel Aviv |
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Friday’s events as they unfold.
Drone sirens activated in communities near Lebanese border
Air raid sirens are activated in several northern communities due a suspected drone infiltration from Lebanon.
Trump slams Iran for ‘doing very poor job’ of allowing oil through Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump slams Iran for “doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz.”
“That is not the agreement we have!” he adds on his Truth Social platform.
No injuries reported after IDF downs Hezbollah missile fired at Ashdod, says sirens in Tel Aviv were due to falling debris
One missile fired by Hezbollah in Lebanon at the southern coastal city of Ashdod a short while ago was intercepted, according to the IDF.
There are no reports of injuries.
The Home Front Command for the first time issued an early warning for the missile attack, around two minutes before sirens sounded in the port city.
Sirens were also activated in Tel Aviv and surrounding towns in central Israel due to the interception of the missile and fear of falling fragments.
The missile fire marks one of the deepest attacks in Israel attempted by Hezbollah amid the current fighting.
https://x.com/kann_news/status/2042367366219129119
Hezbollah rocket fire triggers sirens in Tel Aviv area, southern port city of Ashdod
Sirens sound across central Israel and parts of the south amid a Hezbollah missile attack from Lebanon.
The alerts are activated in Tel Aviv and nearby towns, as well as in the southern coastal city of Ashdod.
A short while before the sirens sounded the Home Front Command issued an early warning in Ashdod.
Earlier, the military warned that Hezbollah may launch attacks beyond northern Israel.
IDF says it struck 10 Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon after they were used to attack Israel
The Israeli Air Force struck some 10 Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon that were used to fire at northern Israel in the past few hours, the military says.
The IDF says it continues to operate to locate and destroy additional launchers.
The military publishes footage showing one of the strikes.
בסגירות מעגל מהירות: צה"ל תקף כ-10 משגרים שירו לעבר צפון הארץ בשעות האחרונות בסגירות מעגל מהירות, צה"ל תקף מהאוויר בשעות האחרונות כ-10 משגרים שירו לעבר צפון הארץ.גם ברגעים אלו, צה"ל ממשיך לאתר ולהשמיד משגרים נוספים pic.twitter.com/UZYOlYBrzQ — צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 9, 2026
בסגירות מעגל מהירות: צה"ל תקף כ-10 משגרים שירו לעבר צפון הארץ בשעות האחרונות
בסגירות מעגל מהירות, צה"ל תקף מהאוויר בשעות האחרונות כ-10 משגרים שירו לעבר צפון הארץ.גם ברגעים אלו, צה"ל ממשיך לאתר ולהשמיד משגרים נוספים pic.twitter.com/UZYOlYBrzQ
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) April 9, 2026
Israel denounces truce mediator Pakistan after its defense minister calls Israel ‘curse for humanity, cancerous’
Israeli leaders denounce Pakistan, which is mediating the US-Iran ceasefire negotiations, after the nuclear-armed country’s defense minister called Israel “evil and a curse for humanity, “cancerous” and “to get rid of European jews.”
In a post on X, Khawaja Asif claimed that as “peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated.”
“I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews [sic] burn in hell,” he added.
Israel is evil and a curse for humanity, while peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated. I hope and pray people who created… — Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) April 9, 2026
Israel is evil and a curse for humanity, while peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated. I hope and pray people who created…
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) April 9, 2026
Responding to Asif, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says his “call for Israel’s annihilation is outrageous. This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemns Asif’s “these blatant antisemitic blood libels from a government claiming to ‘mediate peace,'” while echoing the Prime Minister’s Office in saying that “calling the Jewish state ‘cancerous’ is effectively calling for its annihilation.”
“Israel will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction,” says Sa’ar.
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