Paul Kearns: I woke my girls at 1am to leave Tel Aviv. The bombs were already in the air

Just before midnight last Saturday, Israelis saw the matter-of-fact announcement on TV: Iran had just launched hundreds of missiles. Thus began what may have been the eeriest two hours in Israel’s recent history

An attack from Iran was long expected so there was an eerie calm when an Israeli government agency announced just before midnight on Saturday that Iran had unleashed cruise missiles and possibly hundreds of drones. Stock picture

For two hours — late Saturday night, early Sunday morning — Israelis sat at home, glued to their televisions, watched, and waited.

Just before midnight, Israel’s Home Front Command announced matter-of-factly to the nation that the much-anticipated threat of an Iranian attack was now a reality, and that Iranian cruise missiles and possibly hundreds of drones were now heading towards Israel.