Israel came under attack early on Sunday as Iran launched a coordinated assault involving dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones, according to the Israeli army. The onslaught triggered air raid alerts across Israel, with residents reporting multiple explosions.
Sirens blared in various regions, including Jerusalem, the Negev Desert, the Dead Sea in the south, the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in the north, and the occupied West Bank.
Confirming the attack, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari stated during a press briefing on Saturday that Israel was under siege by ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran. He noted that some missiles were intercepted by aerial defense systems.
Reports from Israel's state-owned Kan TV news indicated that allied countries, including the US, Jordan, and Britain, intercepted around 100 drones out of the 400-500 launched before they could reach Israel.
Injuries were reported, including a serious injury to a 10-year-old boy from a Bedouin village in the Negev. A projectile or its fragments fell near Umm Al Fahm, an Arab city in northern Israel, without causing injuries.
Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Xinhua news agency that several cruise missiles were also launched from Iran toward Israel.
In response to the attack, Israel is planning a "significant response," as reported by Israel's state-owned Kan TV news, citing an anonymous senior Israeli official. The official emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, "The fact that Iran fires for the first time from its territory at Israel requires a significant response. It will come soon."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed in a broadcast statement on Saturday night that it had launched missile and drone attacks on Israel. Reports indicated that the drones were launched from Iran and other countries allied with Iran.
Israel has been on high alert following Iranian threats to retaliate for the killing of seven Iranian officers in its consular building in Damascus, Syria, earlier in April, an incident attributed to Israel by Iran.
(With inputs from agencies)
