Iran executed a significant missile assault on Israel late Tuesday, escalating the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Israeli officials reported that the majority of the approximately 180 missiles aimed at the country were intercepted by its air defense systems.
This attack represents a fresh surge in violence that involves multiple nations in the region, with indications that further confrontations may arise. On the same day, Israel faced threats from Hamas in Gaza to its south, Hezbollah in Lebanon to its north, and the Iranian missile barrage from the east.
Throughout Israel, air raid sirens rang out, and explosions lit up the sky as Israeli defenses engaged the incoming missiles. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the Israeli military, confirmed that while most Iranian missiles were intercepted, a few struck areas in central and southern Israel.
There were no Israeli fatalities reported from the missile strike, but some damage occurred. In the West Bank, a Palestinian man died from ruins caused by the hostility. Earlier in April, Iran had also launched a substantial attack against Israel using missiles and drones, which had similarly resulted in no Israeli casualties, with nearly all projectiles intercepted.
Following the strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “Iran made a big mistake this evening, and it will pay for it,” emphasizing a commitment to retaliate against any aggressors. Meanwhile, President Biden expressed that the attack appeared ineffective, affirming that the U.S. stands completely in support of Israel.
The Pentagon revealed that two U.S. destroyers deployed 12 interceptors targeting the Iranian missiles aimed at Israel, and further assessments were taking place to determine the effectiveness of those interceptors.
In another incident, two gunmen opened fire on a light-rail train in Jaffa near Tel Aviv, killing six individuals and injuring a dozen others. According to local authorities, the gunmen were shot dead by Israeli police at the scene and were identified as Palestinians from Hebron in the West Bank.
The Iranian missile offensive occurred amid an intensifying Israeli operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which was notably escalated with a ground campaign initiated on Monday. Israel aims to undermine Hezbollah, a group that has received Iranian training and arms for decades.
Iran asserted that the missile strike was a retaliatory measure for recent killings, including the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in Beirut and other prominent deaths related to Hamas and Iranian military leadership.
In a statement on social media, Iran’s mission to the United Nations characterized the strike as a “legal, rational, and legitimate response to the terrorist acts of the Zionist regime,” warning of severe consequences if further provocations occurred.
Following warnings from the Israeli government about an impending attack, citizens throughout the nation sought shelter during the incident. Afterward, an official announcement allowed residents to exit their shelters, though restrictions on gatherings were imposed in urban areas like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
The recent Iranian strikes come after Hezbollah commenced rocket fire into northern Israel as a show of support for the Palestinians, following Hamas’s significant attack in southern Israel. Over the last year, clashes along the Israel-Lebanon border had been relatively moderate, but a recent Israeli military campaign has escalated the situation considerably.
Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon killed over 1,000 individuals, with many Lebanese civilians displaced, according to local health authorities. The strikes targeted Hezbollah and its infrastructure, resulting in significant casualties among both militants and civilians.
In an earlier incident in April, an Israeli strike led to the deaths of several leaders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Damascus, prompting Iran to retaliate with a wave of drones and missiles, most of which were intercepted.