The skies over Tel Aviv darkened ominously this week as thousands of crows began circling the city amid the Iran war. The timing of the phenomenon has sparked discussion about ill omens and signs of impending ‘doom’ — with many drawing from religious scriptures and mythology to make their case. Videos shared widely across social media platforms show thousands of birds flying above the Azrieli Towers and other key sites in the city.
“Footage showing thousands of crows flying across the Tel Aviv skyline is going viral! This is considered by many to be a “harbinger of doom” as it is often followed by total catastrophe. An extremely rare sight that no country ever wants to see,” wrote on X user.
“Thousands of crows descended on Tel Aviv this week, and the internet has decided the apocalypse has arrived. The footage is real. The birds are real. And to millions of people watching from a safe distance, they are a message,” wrote a second.
Several users noted that there were explanations outlined in several mythologies — including the Book of Revelation “which spoke about carrion birds circling the battlefield after the final war”. Another user pointed out that Norse mythology made note of Odin’s ravens flying ahead of slaughter.
But as a section of the internet insisted that this was the “worst omen” possible for Israel, ornithologists and bird enthusiasts stepped in with an explanation.
“In nearly every ancient tradition that has ever tried to read the sky, a mass of black wings over a city means one thing. Death is coming. What is actually happening is more mundane. Every year, hundreds of thousands of crows funnel through the eastern Mediterranean on their way between Europe and Africa. Tel Aviv sits directly on one of the great migratory corridors of the Old World. The birds have been doing this for longer than the city has existed,” explained one X user.
Tel Aviv faces barrage of Iranian missiles
Sirens have sounded repeatedly across Israeli cities on Thursday morning — with authorities flagging at least four barrages of incoming missiles. According to updates shared by AP news, at least five people suffered mild injuries after the strikes hit north of Tel Aviv in Kfar Qasim. Explosions were also heard over Jerusalem later in the day as Israeli air defences sought to intercept Iranian fire.
According to Israeli media reports, incoming missile warnings have been sounded for multiple areas in central and southern Israel including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. The first such alert of the day came after an unusually long lull of more than 14 hours but quickly gained momentum. Hezbollah rocket fire remained constant overnight for northern Israel and once reached the Tel Aviv area.
Chaos in Tel Aviv
An Israeli paramedic who arrived first to the scene in Kfar Qasim described it as “chaos”. Several people were evacuated to the hospital with ‘mild’ injuries while Israeli forces faced fresh strikes from Tehran.
“We arrived within minutes with intensive care units and ambulances. At the scene there was chaos. We began searching inside the house and saw destruction in the center of the home. Five casualties who were inside were injured by the blast,” a statement released by the Israeli rescue services cited the paramedic as saying.