Cliff Notes
- Tehran perceives its recent rocket strikes on Israel as “effective”, resulting in at least five fatalities in central Israeli cities including Tel Aviv and Bnei Brak.
- Israeli rescue teams are actively searching for survivors amidst the destruction caused by the barrage, marking the fourth consecutive day of attacks.
- The UK’s potential military support to Israel may be limited, with possibilities including air-to-air refuelling and intelligence sharing from bases like the G6Q outpost in Cyprus.
Israel-Iran live: Iran launches deadly strikes on Israel as fighting intensifies on fourth day
Tehran will view its overnight strikes on Israel as “effective”, but our correspondent Adnan Hindawi in the Middle East tell a different story.
Rescue workers are searching for survivors trapped under rubble in central Israel after Iran’s rocket strikes, which killed at least five people. The cities of Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva were all hit.
Hindawi describes the attacks as “a heavy barrage that could have been worse if the Iranians wanted it to be, despite from an Iranian point of view, an effective one as well.”
“For another day… on the fourth morning in a row, Israelis are waking up to discover the damage of the rockets that have come in overnight,” But he went on to say their is growing discontent in the Israelis, they don’t have the appetite or patience for bombs landing in Israel.
British role likely to be ‘somewhat limited’
Discussing the deployment of UK jets to the Middle East, Hindawi says: “What the British could provide, in my understanding, to protect Israel if they wanted to is somewhat limited.”
He outlines two ways they could provide support if Sir Keir Starmer decides to: “They could provide assets in other areas like air-to-air refuelling, something that the Israelis don’t have in huge numbers.
“They could also provide a set amount of intelligence from the bases, like the G6Q outpost in Cyprus.”
However, the PM is in a battle within parliament to stop all arms sales and support to Israel, and let’s not forget the UK government have formally said in parliament that Israelis actions are “unacceptable”.