Iran said it fired dozens of missiles into Israel on Tuesday (October 1, 2024), a sharp escalation of the months-long conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah and Hamas.
An Israeli military spokesman said there were very few injuries after the strike and that public can exit bomb shelters.
A series of window-shaking explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and near Jerusalem, though it was not immediately clear whether the sounds were from missiles landing or being intercepted by Israeli defences, or both.
People take shelter during an air raid siren, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel in central Israel on October 1, 2024. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Israel and the United States have warned there would be severe consequences in the event of an attack on Israel from Iran, which backs the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris monitored the attack on Israel from the White House Situation Room.
Israeli Army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the country’s air defence system was fully operational, detecting and intercepting threats. “However, the defence is not hermetic,” he said.
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Orders to shelter in place were sent to Israelis’ mobile phones and announced on national television.
Iran took responsibility for launching dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel. The claim was made in a statement read aloud on state television.
In its statement, Iran referenced Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, both killed in an Israeli airstrike last week in Beirut. It also mentioned Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader in Hamas who was assassinated in Tehran in a suspected Israeli attack in July. It warned this attack represented only a “first wave,” without elaborating.
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The air raid alerts in Israel came a day after Israel said it had begun limited ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire pounded southern Lebanese villages where people were ordered to evacuate, and Hezbollah militants responded by firing a barrage of rockets into Israel. There was no immediate word on casualties as fighting intensified and concerns of a wider regional war grew.
A senior White House official warned of “severe consequences” should Iran launch a ballistic missile against Israel. U.S. ships and aircraft are positioned in the region to assist Israel in the event of an attack from Iran. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence.
Rear Adm. Hagari, the Israeli Army spokesman, also warned of consequences if Iran fired missiles into Israel.
He urged the public to stay close to sheltered areas. “The Iranian strike could be widespread,” he said.
Published – October 01, 2024 10:38 pm IST
