ISRAEL UNDER FIRE: Iran launches unprecedented missile attack, IDF intercepts majority of 180 ballistic missiles
3 Israelis lightly wounded, IDF: ‘only few impacts’ in central and southern Israel
The Islamic Republic of Iran fired some 180 ballistic missiles at the State of Israel on Tuesday evening, in a missile assault of unprecedented scope. The Iranian regime said the attack was in retaliation for the Israeli assassinations of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and IRGC officer Abbas Nilforoushan.
At about 7:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, the IDF announced that a missile attack on Israel had just been launched from Iran. The IDF Home Front Command activated rocket alert sirens across almost the entire nation, sending phone alerts to millions of Israelis with instructions to enter their safety shelters.
According to Army Radio, some 1,864 sirens blared across the country during the Iranian attack.
Shortly after, around 180 ballistic surface-to-surface missiles arrived in Israel’s airspace, most of which were intercepted by the Israeli aerial defense systems.
Magen David Adom rescue services reported that the only casualties from the attack were three lightly wounded Israelis. Palestinian sources claimed that a worker from Gaza was killed by falling shrapnel from a missile interception near Jericho.
IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari gave the "all-clear" around 8:30 p.m., adding that "only a few" rocket impacts were identified in central and southern Israel.
"At this point, we are still assessing the situation. They carried out quite a few interceptions and there are a few hits. We do not detect any additional threats to the airspace, so we have given instructions to leave the protected areas," Hagari said.
Shortly after Hagari's statement, Israeli media reported that airspace had been reopened, following a temporary closure during which flights were diverted to Cyprus an hour earlier.
An Israeli source told media outlets that "there will be a strong reaction, what Iran has received so far is only one percent [of what it will receive]."
Iran's embassy to the United Nations claimed the assault was a "legal, rational, and legitimate response to the terrorist acts of the Zionist regime."
"Should the Zionist regime dare to respond or commit further acts of malevolence, a subsequent and crushing response will ensue. Regional states and the Zionists’ supporters are advised to part ways with the regime."
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
