West Asia crisis top developments: IDF says 'Iran will bear consequences if it escalates situation'

 Protesters rally in Tel Aviv to call for the Israeli government to resign.

Contrary to reports, the only obstacle to obtaining the release of the hostages is Hamas and not any factor on the Israeli side,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says in a statement.

Israel called off on Saturday school trips and other youth activities planned for the coming days, the beginning of the Passover festival, and placed the armed forces on full alert due to a possible attack by Iran.

Announcing the measures in a televised briefing, chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said dozens of combat planes were airborne as part of the state of readiness. 

US President Joe Biden is returning early to Washington from a trip in Delaware in order to meet with his national security team regarding ongoing events in the Middle East, the White House says.

US, allies have provided Israel with ‘new capabilities’ to defend against Iran attack, says Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant today to discuss urgent regional threats and reiterated unwavering U.S. support for Israel's defense. Secretary Austin made clear that Israel could count on full U.S. support to defend Israel against any attacks by Iran and its regional proxies.

“The attacks of the settlers will not discourage our people from standing on their land,” Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa says in a statement, as attacks on Palestinian villages intensified following the death of an Israeli teenager.

The IDF and Border Police have deployed addition troops to the West Bank amid growing settler violence.

Canada has warned citizens to avoid all travel to Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, upgrading its risk assessment of the region due to the increased threat of attacks on Israeli territory.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been abandoned in recent hours to the wild violence of armed settler militias, says  Israeli rights group B’Tselem.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant urges public not to take the law into own hands as settlers rampage through several villages across the West Bank after the body of missing Israeli teen Benjamin Achimeir was found.

The body of 14-year-old Binyamin Achimair was located in the area of Malachei HaShalom a short while ago. Binyamin went missing yesterday morning (Friday) and was murdered in a terrorist attack. Security forces continue the pursuit of those suspected of his murder.

The Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani left Baghdad on Saturday (Apr 13) and headed to the United States to meet President Joe Biden in Washington on 15 April.

The visit comes as the countries hold formal talks about winding down the mission of a US-led military coalition that was formed to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq. “These important dialogues aim to reach a time schedule to end the mission of the International Coalition” said al Sudani in a press conference he held at the airport before his departure.

The leaders will “consult on a range of issues,” including the fight against the Islamic State and “ongoing Iraqi financial reforms to promote economic development and progress toward Iraq’s financial independence and modernization,” the White House said.

India is in touch with the Iranian authorities both in Tehran and in Delhi to "ensure security, welfare and early release of Indian nationals", say WION sources on 17 Indian nationals onboard MSC Aries seized by Iran's IRGC. 

The IDF says fighter jets struck Hezbollah targets in four different areas of southern Lebanon a short while ago. The targets included buildings used by the terror group in Houla and Bayt Lif, and two Hezbollah command centers in Odaisseh and Taybeh, according to the IDF.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has seized the MSC Aries, an Israel-linked Portuguese-flagged commercial vessel in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The ship, en route from the United Arab Emirates to India's Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), was intercepted by IRGC forces. 

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“Iran will bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further.” Watch IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari’s statement regarding Iranian involvement in the war and its effect on the Middle East: 

Sirens warning of incoming drones sound in communities close to Lebanon border, reported Times of Israel. 

A video seen by AP shows an attack on a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz that a Mideast defense official alleges Iran carried out on Saturday. The video showed a helicopter flying over the vessels as commandos fast-roped down to the ship.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the video and the conclusions drawn from it. Iran did not immediately acknowledge seizing any vessel, nor was there any report carried by state media about the incident.

Reports suggest that the Iranian military forces have taken over a foreign ship MSC ARIES that sailed under the flag of Portugal. It was on its way from the United Arab Emirates to India at the time of interception. 

An explosive device placed in a car detonated around an upscale neighborhood of Damascus, reported Syrian news agency citing a police source.

The incident, according to media reports, in an area which is near the Iranian embassy and other foreign embassies are located.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast or who the target was.

"The explosion heard a short while ago in the Al Mazzeh area resulted from the detonation of a car bomb in the Al-Huda Square, and the damage was limited to material losses," reported state news agency SANA, citing the Damascus police command. 

The Dutch foreign ministry said that the country will close its embassy in Tehran on Sunday (Apr 14) citing rising tensions between Iran and Israel.

It will decide tomorrow if they should reopen on Monday (Apr 15).

The IDF said on Saturday that it intercepted rocket attacks aimed at central Israel. 

"Following the alerts that were activated tonight in the area of ​​the city of Sderot, the air defense fighters successfully intercepted three launches that crossed the territory of the Gaza Strip. IDF forces attacked the launch area with artillery fire. Air Force fighter jets attacked and destroyed three launchers in which there were about 20 rockets ready to launch into the center of the country," the IDF said in a post on X. 

The US is moving warships to protect Israel in case of an Iranian attack, a report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Saturday said. 

German airline Lufthansa has said that its aircraft will no longer use Iranian airspace. “Due to the current situation, Lufthansa is suspending its flights to and from Tehran up to and including Thursday, 18 April,” an airline spokesperson said on Friday. 

A staff member of the  United States Agency for International Development (USAID) died on Friday in the Israeli port city of Jaffa. In a statement, the USAID said that the worker was associated with USAID’s West Bank and Gaza mission. 

The Israeli military launched strikes in Central Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp, The Times of Israel reported citing Palestinians. The target of the strikes was not immediately known. 

The US has observed Iran moving military assets around internally, including drones and cruise missiles, CNN reported on Friday citing sources.

This development possibly means that Israel is preparing to attack Israeli targets from inside its own territory, the sources said. 

Two men were shot dead in Isfiya village in Northern Israel on Friday. Citing media reports, a report by The Times of Israel said the shooting took place on a main road in the Druze-majority town.

The men, aged 24 and 26, were rushed in critical condition to a local hospital but died of their injuries.

Amid the escalation of tensions in the West Asian region, several countries have issued an advisory asking people not to travel to Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon.

Click here to know the countries that have issued a travel advisory

United States President Joe Biden said on Friday (Apr 12) that he expected Iran to attack Israel "sooner, rather than later" and warned Tehran not to proceed, the news agency Reuters reported. On being asked by reporters about his message to Iran, President Biden said, "Don't," and underlined Washington's commitment to defend Israel. 

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Hundreds of armed Israeli settlers stormed a village in the West Bank on Friday, killing one Palestinian. 

Citing Palestinian officials, a report by CNN said that the settlers set fire to several homes and cars in one of the largest attacks by settlers this year.

Twenty-five people were injured in the attack.