Depending on the place you had been in Jerusalem on Tuesday night, Iran’s missile assault on Israel prompted fervent prayers or shouts of pleasure.
Jewish prayers in an underground automobile park in West Jerusalem; expressions of pleasure within the Palestinian neighborhoods within the japanese a part of town, annexed by Israel.
When the air raid sirens sounded, lots of of individuals within the central bus station within the west listened to the army’s calls and took refuge underground.
Some of those that gathered within the parking zone learn spiritual texts whereas others remained glued to their telephones.
The boring sound of explosions got here from above as Israeli air defenses intercepted incoming missiles fired from Iran.
Outside, the darkish sky was streaked with streaks of sunshine coming from the east, amid the growth of explosions echoing over the Holy City.
At a shelter in West Jerusalem’s Musrara district, residents known as mates and relations elsewhere in Israel to change information about what was taking place.
A person who most well-liked to not be recognized by title advised AFP: “We can put issues into perspective, however the boys cannot.”
He distributed sweets to the little ones within the parking zone, “so they do not have dangerous reminiscences” of the state of affairs.
The kids, nevertheless, cried and households continued to reach amid the wave of warnings.
Some even expressed shock as a result of they’d not heard of the menace, regardless of repeated warnings broadcast by authorities for greater than an hour.
On the opposite facet of Jerusalem is the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, east of town, which Israel captured throughout the 1967 conflict and later annexed.
One resident advised AFP of the response in Silwan when the alarm sounded.
“As quickly because the Palestinians heard the primary sirens, there have been whistles, cheers and shouts of ‘Allahu Akbar!’ (God is the best),” one resident stated of the second the streaks of fireside appeared within the night time sky.
He stated individuals do not go to shelters as a result of they haven’t any. Instead they went out onto the streets or rooftops to see what was taking place.
Back in West Jerusalem, after all the things stopped, 17-year-old Alon returned to his small dwelling enchancment store.
“It’s been six months since I final heard the alarm in Jerusalem,” he stated, referring to the primary time Israel’s archenemy, Iran, attacked with drones and missiles on the night time of April 13-14. .
“I wasn’t afraid,” he added.