Iran launches missile attack on Israel

01 October 2024 22:50

Iran launched a large-scale missile strike on key sites across Israel late on October 1, marking a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two countries.

Israeli air defences were activated as air raid sirens blared throughout Tel Aviv and across the nation, with Israeli officials confirming attempts to intercept the incoming missiles. There are no immediate reports of casualties or the extent of damage caused by the attack, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The strike follows Israel’s recent military operations in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah — a group Iran has armed and trained for decades. In response to Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, being killed in an Israeli airstrike on September 27 in Beirut, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the missile barrage, stating it targeted "important military sites" within Israel. The IRGC warned that any Israeli retaliation would be met with "violent attacks."

As tensions rose, President Biden ordered U.S. military intervention to aid in the defense of Israel, with American forces reportedly helping to shoot down some of the missiles. The White House confirmed that both President Biden and Vice President Harris are closely monitoring the situation from the Situation Room.

In Israel, civilians took refuge in bomb shelters nationwide, and the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem advised its staff and their families to shelter in place until further notice. Israel lifted its shelter order a short while later, though Tel Aviv and Jerusalem remain under tight restrictions, including new limits on public gatherings.

Israel’s recent military operations have claimed over 1,000 lives in Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, as the country targets Hezbollah positions. The escalation of violence began after Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel, following a major Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7.

This latest round of violence adds to the already intense year-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border. Further provocations by both sides, including an April Israeli airstrike that killed members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in Syria, have fueled the ongoing hostilities.

Videos of the aftermath of a direct hit on the Turkiz restaurant in northern Tel Aviv have been published on social media.