Israel confirms 24 dead, 647 injured in wake of Iranian retaliatory strikes

Dmitry Gendelman, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has revealed new figures detailing the toll of the ongoing Operation Rising Lion, reporting dozens of civilian deaths and hundreds injured across the country.

Writing on his official Telegram channel, Gendelman stated that approximately 400 rockets and hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been launched at Israel since the start of the campaign, per Caliber.Az.

The aerial assaults have struck around 35 separate locations.

According to the adviser, the attacks have resulted in the deaths of 24 civilians, with an additional 647 people injured to varying degrees. He added that 2,725 Israeli citizens have been evacuated from their homes due to the persistent threat of incoming fire.

The current escalation began on June 13, when Israel carried out a wave of air strikes deep inside Iran. These strikes reportedly led to heavy losses among Iran’s top military leadership, including the deaths of Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces; IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami; commanders of the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, Gholam Ali Rashid and Ali Shadmani; IRGC Air Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh; as well as nine nuclear scientists and several senior Iranian officials.

Iran retaliated later the same day with an unprecedented barrage: over 150 ballistic missiles and more than 100 drones were fired toward Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel. The attacks resulted in civilian casualties and widespread destruction in multiple cities.

On the other side, the Iranian Ministry of Health has reported that since Israel’s initial strikes, more than 220 people have been killed and over 1,200 injured across Iran, most of them civilians.

By Tamilla Hasanova