1 week ago
Last Updated:November 13, 2024, 11:38 IST
The drone, one of 190 fired by Hezbollah on Monday, ripped through the classroom, but all students managed to escape unharmed.
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts oncoming missiles from Lebanon as the conflict with Hezbollah intensifies. (Reuters/File)
Quick thinking from teachers managed to save an Israeli kindergarten class from a Hezbollah drone attack that blew up their classroom as all students managed to escape unscathed from the incident on Tuesday despite no warning siren, according to reports.
The drone exploded near the class in the northern town of Nesher, shattering windows and scattering debris across the outdoor play area, while no warning siren rang out. However, teachers heard a faint siren in a neighbouring town and quickly moved the children to the facility’s bomb shelter as a precaution, reports The Times of Israel.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it was investigating why no sirens had sounded in Nesher even though the early warning system was triggered in other northern areas. Israeli Air Force helicopters were scrambled to intercept the drone but failed to stop it.
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‘Miracle Of Miracles…’: Israeli Teacher On Drone Attack
Sarah Yasour, a teacher at the kindergarten, said, “We had a miracle of miracles. We heard a very distant siren… and said ‘Alright, let’s go in.’ We were just starting the morning assembly with the kids. Everyone was together. But the moment we heard the siren and I saw that a drone [alert] had come out, I said we’re not taking any chances right now, and within a few seconds we were all in the shelter."
“Once we were in the shelter, we suddenly heard a huge noise and understood it must be close… Only when we went outside did we realize the scale of the miracle. It hit exactly where we had been," she added. Meanwhile, Nesher Mayor Roi Levi said the children were moved to another kindergarten following the attack.
Officials said there were no reported injuries to staff or children as a result of the drone attack, which struck a tree outside the kindergarten class. The classroom and playground were littered with glass and debris from the explosion, as per the videos uploaded on social media.
Nesher Mayor Roy Levy praised the teachers’ quick-thinking and told Israeli media that the city "did not have an alert before the UAV exploded near the kindergarten." The drone that struck the kindergarten class was one of 190 rockets and drones fired by Hezbollah on Monday, injuring at least seven people.
Two Killed In Hezbollah Missile Attack On Israel
The attack came as Israel continued its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, aiming to make it safe for some 60,000 northern residents to return to their homes after attacks by the Iran-backed Hezbollah since Hamas’ October 7 attack that triggered a devastating war.
The Israeli military pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs with airstrikes on Tuesday, mounting one of its heaviest daytime attacks yet on the Hezbollah-controlled area, and struck the middle of the country where more than 20 people were killed.
In northern Israel, two people were killed in the city of Nahariya when a residential building was struck, Israeli police said. Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for a drone attack that it said was aimed at a military base east of Nahariya.
On Tuesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said “there will be no ceasefire and no pause in Lebanon" until war objectives are met, adding that Israel’s actions “must continue to weaken Hezbollah’s capabilities and achieve the fruits of victory". Israeli attacks have killed at least nearly 3,300 people in Lebanon so far, while Hezbollah has killed about 100 civilians and soldiers in northern Israel.
(with agency inputs)
Location :Jerusalem, Israel
First Published:November 13, 2024, 11:38 IST
News world 'Miracle Of Miracles': Teachers' Quick Wit Saves Israeli Kindergarten Class From Hezbollah Drone
