Noa Kirel
(Video: Ido Erez)
Producers of pop star Noa Kirel's planned concert in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park announced on Wednesday that they are canceling the event scheduled for Thursday following a Hezbollah missile attack on the city and its surroundings.
Hezbollah fired a medium-range ballistic missile at the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, claiming to target Mossad headquarters just north of the city. Air raid sirens were activated across the Sharon Plains and Tel Aviv suburbs to protect residents from shrapnel resulting from the interception by Israel’s aerial defenses. No injuries were reported, and the Home Front Command issued no new guidelines, though the country remains under emergency regulations.
On Tuesday, Kirel had said she intended to proceed with the outdoor concert despite the threat, unless advised otherwise by the Home Front Command. Tens of thousands of fans, including many children and teens, were expected to attend the event at Tel Aviv’s largest outdoor venue.
“I feel committed to my audience,” Kirel said at a press conference. “I want to show the world that war and terror cannot defeat us, and that no one knows what tomorrow will bring or how long the war will last.”
One concerned mother, who had purchased tickets for her daughter, urged Kirel to reconsider. “Such a large concentration of young children is a real risk, and evacuating everyone to safety could be challenging,” she said.
“Hezbollah might exploit the situation, and many of the children who were excited to see Kirel perform are too young to understand the risks, leaving the decision to their parents.”