Panic in Tel Aviv as Israeli military jet fly overhead during Syria tensions and threats of ‘razing’ by Iran
The warplanes were rehearsing for an upcoming air show, but no prior announcement was made to the public, which is on edge because of rising tensions over Syria; the same day, Iran threatened to “raze” the city to the ground
Israeli police emergency lines lit up on Thursday after warplanes roared over the Tel Aviv coast, dropping anti-missile flares and performing aerobatics at a time of tension along the border with Syria.
It was just a rehearsal – practice flights are held every year – for Israel’s upcoming Independence Day celebration, but no prior announcement was made.
“Many calls were received from worried citizens about noise from a squadron of planes in the Tel Aviv area,” police said in statement. “We would like to make clear they were training for the Independence Day aerial display. There’s no emergency.”
The military later issued a statement apologising for the scare, and it listed locations and times of further rehearsals over the next few days ahead of the annual display, when onlookers will cram the Tel Aviv beachfront.
The panic came the same day that a senior Iranian official warned that his country could “raze” Tel Aviv to the ground if provoked, following a similar warning to Tehran by Israel’s prime minister.
