James Mackenzie: Reuters Bureau Chief for Israel and Palestine on the ground invasion in Lebanon and missile attacks on Israel

Tensions in the Middle East are on a knife's edge in the aftermath of Iran's barrage of missiles on Israel. 

The Israeli defence force says there's been no reports of casualties and most of the around 180 projectiles were intercepted. 

Iran has confirmed the attack and says it's targeting Israel in response to deaths of Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah. 

Reuters Bureau Chief for Israel and Palestine James Mackenzie told Ryan Bridge it’s a big deal despite there having been an attack from Iran back in April. 

He said that the first time there was limited damage and a sort of tacit agreement to let it slide, but with it happening again, the stakes are definitely raised. 

They’ve already seen a really sharp uptick in essentially the beginning of a war in Israel.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So the Israeli Defense Force is reporting right now that
rockets are being filed, missiles are being fired from Iran
into Israel being intercepted by the Iron Dome.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
The skies above us are lighting up. We are seeing
Israeli Iron Dome interceptors and they appear to be shooting
down some of these missiles as they streak over the
skies of northern Israel.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
James mackenzie is the REUCES Bureau chief for Israel and Palestine.
He's with US Live this morning. James, Welcome to the show. Hello,
tell me what's happening at the moment.

Speaker 3 (00:39):
Well, yes, as you're hearing a missile barrow has been
going on, the sirens sounding warning alerts being sent out
to people's mobile phones to take cover and go to
the shelters. This is, you know, the second attack by Iran,

(01:00):
an early one in April, and this is you know,
happening in the moment. It's a little difficult to tell
exactly what the impact has been. Certainly we can hear booms,
which are the typical when the when the aerial defense
system hits these missiles. You know, we can hear the
sirens and you know, we're really just sort of waiting
to see how it's all in a playout.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
Yeah, as you say, it is, it is early days,
has only just happened in the last sort of ten
to fifteen minutes it started. But how big of a
deal is it given that that you know, Iran has
done this before in April, as you said, most of
the missiles were intercepted.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
Well, it's a very big deal in a sense, almost
regardless of whether the you know, of how successful the
aerial defense system is, because you know, the first the
first time has happened, not no significant damage was or
very little significant damage was caused, and you know, they

(02:01):
seem to be a sort of tacit agreement to let
it slide as well, you know, struck back also in
a kind of limited way. But I think if it
happens again, then mistakes are definitely raised. We've already seen,
you know, really sharp up together essentially the beginning of
war in Lebanon, you know, very very heavy is rarely
air strikes. This morning, a ground incursion by commandos. He

(02:26):
the silent background is now and I think you know
this is you know, a very potentially a very dangerous
step up from that. You know, We're gonna have to
see what what they decided to do. But you know,
I think this is definitely a very serious step.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
James, Where are you right now?

Speaker 3 (02:51):
I'm in our office in Jerusalem where you can maybe
hear the hear the siren.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, are you not in a bombshell or are you
just in your office?

Speaker 3 (03:03):
Well, we have we have a we have a bombshell,
so that.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
You know, And and can you tell me do you
think Israel is feeling I don't know if emboldened is
the right word to respond, but after obviously taking out
in israela and you know, going after his Billa, do
you think that perhaps Israel's response to Iran, you know,

(03:26):
to these attacks might be stronger, might be different.

Speaker 3 (03:30):
I think so. I mean it does seem, you know
that they were for a long time as well as
been kind of on the back foot over the you know,
the very the very critical you know, the world reaction
to you know, the campaign in Gaza with you know,
which is caused these these these huge number of casualties
can cause so much damage. I think you know that

(03:53):
that the sort of public move has been very much
you know, from the Israeli point of view, the scessful
operations that have been having in the assassination of all
these essentially decapitation of the Edible movement and the leader

(04:14):
a raft of other and you know, I think.

Speaker 1 (04:22):
I think we might be losing James.

Speaker 3 (04:24):
There.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
That is the voice of James mackenzie. He's the Reuters
bureau chief for Israel and Palestine, currently sheltering in a
bomb shelter inside the Router's office in Jerusalem, talking to
us there. The sirens you can hear in the background
are air sirens from warning of other imminent or current
strike from Iran. We're hearing from the Israeli Defense Force

(04:48):
that at least one hundred missiles have been launched just
in the last ten to fifteen minutes from Iran into Israel.
For more from News Talks EDB listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.