DAY 6 OF THE IRAN WAR • DAY 621 OF THE WAR: Missile Attacks Drop Significantly; Tel Aviv Streets Remain Empty; Rescue Flights Underway; Stories of Tragedy Emerge

Tel Aviv Diary, June 18, 2025

This evening, amid ongoing coverage of the latest missile attack, we received the grim announcement we always dread—news that had just been cleared for release: Staff Sergeant Stav Halfon (20), was killed by a sniper in Khan Younis. The sniper got away.

There were also unconfirmed reports that a large number of Palestinians were killed near the aid distribution centers. In a separate incident, a rocket was launched from Gaza and landed in an open area, causing no reported injuries.

MISSILE ATTACKS

When I began writing this update entry at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening, I was still able to say that the last 24 hours had been relatively quiet.

Last night At 9:45 p.m. the North received a warning of an incoming missile attack. Thankfully, all the missiles were intercepted. At 12:30 a.m., just as I was getting ready for bed, missile alerts sounded again and we headed down to the shelter.

Fortunately, we heard no explosions. While it was a relatively large barrage—perhaps 15 missiles—all were once again intercepted. We returned upstairs, but only minutes later, we were instructed to head back down to the shelters. It felt like this might be the rhythm of the night: going up and down in cycles. But that turned out to be the final attack, and we were able to sleep through the rest of the night undisturbed.

Residents in the South, near the Be’er Sheva area, were not as fortunate. Another missile attack was launched in their direction, but none of the missiles made impact. No casualties or significant damage were reported.

As I was working on tonight’s update, new missile alerts went off, around 7:40 PM this evening. This time, the Iranians managed to fire only two missiles—one fell short of reaching Israel and the second was intercepted. Just as I was about to publish this at midnight, we received another missile warning. After a trip to the shelter, we learned that a small number of missiles were fired, all either were intercepted or fell outside of Israel. The reason for the sharp drop in attacks remains unclear. It may indicate a depletion of launchers, compounded by mounting pressure on Iranian launch crews, who are quickly identified and targeted by Israeli aircraft. The coming hours will likely provide further clarity.

STATUS OF ISRAEL’S MISSILE INTERCEPTOR SUPPLY

A report in The Wall Street Journal claimed that Israel is on the verge of running out of missile interceptors. However, Israeli sources dispute that assertion, saying the situation is better than expected—largely because Iran has struggled to launch a significant number of missiles, reducing the overall need for interceptors.

WHERE WE STAND ON DAY 6

Nearly a week has passed since the war with Iran began, during which roughly 400 missiles were fired at Israel. Of those, 20 struck populated areas and caused casualties—just 5% of the total. While each loss is a personal tragedy, the figures underscore the overall effectiveness of Israel’s missile defense systems. According to the Israeli Air Force, approximately 50% of Iran’s launchers have been destroyed to date.

Even more striking is the drone front: Iran launched 1,000 drones at Israel, of which only 200 reached Israeli airspace—and all were intercepted before causing any damage.

The streets of Tel Aviv remain largely deserted. Wherever we go—though movement is limited—we are acutely aware of the nearest bomb shelters. I declined a request to appear on i24News, as the route to the studio includes long stretches without access to shelter. The Home Front Command has begun to slightly ease restrictions, now permitting gatherings of up to 30 people and allowing more workplaces to reopen.

The big question remains: what will the United States do? Media outlets continue to scrutinize President Trump’s every statement, searching for clues about his intentions. Israeli officials appear confident that the President will ultimately choose to intervene.

Speaking outside the White House today, Trump declared that Iran “simply needs to surrender,” adding that he has no interest in negotiations. “There’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” Trump told reporters. “Nobody knows what I’m going to do.”

Trump also claimed that Iran had sought to send representatives to negotiate at the White House, but he refused to meet them. Additionally, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had offered to mediate, but the President declined, telling Putin to focus on the war in Ukraine instead.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, responded today with a defiant statement, declaring that the Iranian people will never surrender.

Meanwhile, Israel continues its around-the-clock strikes on targets inside Iran. The IDF reportedly destroyed three attack helicopters on the ground and targeted the headquarters of Iranian Internal Security Services— agencies responsible for arresting political dissidents. The ongoing campaign also remains focused on elements of Iran’s nuclear program and other strategic assets.

RESCUE FOR STRANDED ISRAELIS

This morning, the first commercial flights since Thursday night landed at Ben Gurion Airport, marking the beginning of efforts to repatriate the approximately 150,000 Israelis stranded abroad.

On Thursday night, as Israel launched its first attacks on Iran, a classified contingency plan was activated: all 80 Israeli aircraft—El Al, Arkia, Israir, and Air Haifa—were swiftly evacuated from Ben Gurion Airport to prevent them from becoming missile targets. The operation was completed within a matter of hours.

Foreign airline crews had been pre-warned that in the event the security situation deteriorated, they would be evacuated immediately. In the middle of the night, the crews were instructed to pack their belongings and were transported to Ben Gurion Airport, where they boarded empty El Al planes and were flown out of the country.

Now comes the next phase … bringing back stranded Israelis. This marks the first time in history that Ben Gurion—and all Israeli airports—have been closed for such an extended period: five full days. The current plan calls for the gradual return a small number of Israelis each day.

Flights operated by the various Israeli airlines will repeatedly depart from Larnaca, Athens, and a several other European locations. Each aircraft will remain on the ground in Israel for the shortest time possible. No new passengers will board in Israel. After unloading passengers and conducting only essential maintenance and refueling, the planes will depart immediately. The goal is to repatriate as many Israelis as possible while minimizing risk to both passengers and aircraft—valuable assets representing massive investments by Israeli airlines.

The exact number of planes that landed today remains classified, but it’s believed that more than 2,000 Israelis returned. According to sources, the process from landing to exiting the airport took less than 30 minutes.

A new controversy has erupted over the decision by senior rabbis to instruct El Al not to operate rescue flights on Shabbat. El Al, which is privately owned by an ultra-Orthodox businessman, complied with the directive on the grounds that the stranded Israelis are not in immediate, life-threatening danger—therefore, the flights do not meet the halachic threshold of pikuach nefesh (the principle of saving a life).

Many strongly disagree with that interpretation, arguing that leaving citizens stranded abroad during an ongoing security crisis poses serious risks. The broader question—whether religious authorities should have the power to determine when life-saving operations may be carried out—has sparked widespread debate.

It’s worth noting that the Israeli government retains a golden share in El Al, giving it the legal authority to compel the airline to operate flights on Shabbat if necessary, regardless of rabbinical rulings. However, such intervention appears unlikely.

One large group of visitors who were in Israel with Taglit-Birthright when the war broke out—and subsequently became stranded—were evacuated by boat under Israeli Navy escort to Cyprus, where they were then flown home.

TRAGEDY IN BAT YAM AND TAMRA