On Tuesday night, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel.
The Israeli military claimed that most of the missiles had been intercepted but a few had hit central and southern Israel. The only reported death was a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank.
This was Iran’s second attack on Israel in the past year. In April, it launched around 300 missiles and drones.
What we know so far
What was the size of Iran’s attack on Syria?
The Israel Defense Forces said that the attack involved over 180 missiles. Iranian state media reported that around 200 missiles had been launched.
The US said that the attack was “nearly double the scope” of the one in April.
Around 19:30 local time (16.30 GMT), on Tuesday, sirens were heard as Israel’s 10 million residents were told to enter bomb shelters.
BBC verified social media videos that showed missiles flying above densely populated Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in less than 15 minutes. As air defences intercepted incoming missiles, explosions were heard above.
The footage also showed missiles striking areas around the Nevatim Airbase in the Negev Desert and the headquarters for the Mossad spy organization near Tel Aviv.
“There were some hits in the center of Israel and others in southern Israel,” stated IDF spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari. “Israel and a defensive alliance led by the United States intercepted the majority of the incoming rockets.”
The Israeli military confirmed Wednesday that some of its airbases were hit by the attack. However, it said that no weapons, aircraft, or critical infrastructure were damaged, and the operational capabilities of the air force was not affected.
Iranian state media cited Islamic Revolution Guard Corps as saying that the missiles struck Nevatim, Hatzerim, and Tel Nof Airbases as well as Israeli tanks at Netzarim – a reference to a military corridor in central Gaza – and gas installations in Ashkelon, a southern city.
According to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Iran used for the first time Fattah hypersonic rockets that “cannot be detected”, as well as Emad ballistic missiles and Qadr missiles. According to Israeli media, the IDF claimed that the barrage didn’t include any hypersonic weapons.
What are the reported casualties and damage?
According to Israeli media, the IDF reported that the missile attack on Wednesday damaged several air force bases, but no aircraft.
The IDF said that only administrative buildings and peripheral components had been damaged, adding that “upcoming mission remain unaffected”.
According to reports, the IDF said that shrapnel from missiles intercepted was likely responsible for any damage to civilian infrastructure and property.
A BBC correspondent found several cars badly damaged and a pile earth near a road, where a missile impact caused an 8m to 10m deep crater.
Hod HaSharon, a nearby municipality, also reported that about 100 homes were damaged by shrapnel and a missile explosion. The municipality said that the impact was powerful and posed a high risk of human death.
A video released by IDF shows the head of the Home Front Command visiting the school that was damaged by a missile. The school is located in the Gedera region, just east of Ashkelon.
Paramedics from Israel’s Magen David Adom Ambulance Service treated two people in the Tel Aviv region with light injuries caused by shrapnel, as well as a few people who suffered minor injuries after falling while moving to shelters.
The Palestinian Civil Defence Authority said that a Palestinian was killed in the West Bank town of Jericho when he was struck by a falling fragment of a missile.
CCTV footage shows the rear half of an enormous, black missile falling directly on a man walking along a road in the dark. It was unclear if the missile was intercepted.
The New York Times identified Sameh al-Asali as a 37-year-old Palestinian worker in construction from Gaza, who had been hiding in Jericho ever since the war began between Israel and Hamas.
Iron Dome – Did it stop the missiles?
The IDF did not provide details about the missiles’ downing, other than to say that Israeli and US-led troops were involved, and that Israeli air defences had “operated with impressive rates of interception”.
It did not specify how many intercepted missiles were, explaining that they didn’t want to “give Iran and Hezbollah any information that would help them learn from their mistakes”. The IDF claimed to have intercepted 99% of Iranian projectiles fired in the April attack.
Iron Dome is Israel’s most sophisticated air defence system. It is designed to intercept rockets fired at short range by Hamas or Hezbollah.
The “layered” defence system of the country was probably the most effective on Tuesday. While it was used against some elements of Iran’s last attack in March, other elements likely did the bulk work.
David’s Sling, a joint US/Israeli-produced system, is used to intercept medium- to long-range missiles as well as cruise and ballistic missiles. Israel’s Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 missile interceptors are used to intercept long-range ballistic rockets that fly outside of the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Pentagon reported that two US Navy destroyers stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean fired 12 interceptors to defend Israel. However, it was not clear whether any of these missiles were destroyed.
John Healey, UK Defence Secretary, said that British forces “had played their part in efforts to prevent further escalation”. BBC reports that British military jets didn’t shoot down any Iranian missiles.
Verified footage also shows missile interceptions above the Jordanian capital Amman. The forces of the Arab kingdom also shot down several missiles during Iran’s last attack on April.
Why did Iran attack Israel
The IRGC stated in a press release that the missile barrage is a retaliation against what it calls the “violation and martyrdom of Iran’s sovereignty” of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Haniyeh was killed in an explosion that occurred in Tehran in July, which Iranian officials blamed Israel for, but Israeli officials denied.
The statement said that the barrage was “in line with legitimate rights of the nation to defend themselves”.
The attack was also a response to an Israeli air strike on the southern suburbs in Beirut last Friday, which killed Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, and Brig-Gen Abbas Nilforoushan. He was the operations commander for the IRGC’s overseas arm, Quds Force.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the country’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei personally gave the order for the missile attack on Tuesday.
The escalation came just hours after Israeli troops invaded southern Lebanon in order to remove “Hezbollah terrorist targets” from border villages, which the military claimed posed a danger to residents of northern Israel.
Israel has launched an offensive against the Shia Islamist organisation, after a year-long war with Hamas that sparked cross-border hostilities. Hezbollah is backed by Iran, and both Hamas and Hezbollah are designated as terrorist organizations by Israel, the US and UK.
Iran does not recognize Israel’s right of existence and seeks to eradicate it. It has spent many years building up a network of armed groupings in the Middle East known as the “Axis of Resistance”, who are opposed to Israel, and the US.
Israel believes Iran poses an existential danger and has spent many years in a secret war with Iran, which is now becoming more visible.
How has Israel responded?
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, said at a cabinet meeting Tuesday night that Iran’s missile attack had “failed”, and was “thwarted by Israel’s air defence system”.
“Iran will pay for its big mistake,” he said. “The regime in Iran doesn’t understand our determination and determination to retaliate to our enemies.
Yoav Galant, the Minister of Defence, also vowed revenge.
“Iran hasn’t learned a simple message – those who attack Israel pay a high price,” he said.
What has been international reaction?
US President Joe Biden reaffirmed US backing for Israel following the missile attack. He described it as “defeated” and “ineffective”.
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin condemned “this outrageous act by Iran”.
Sir Keir starmer, the UK Prime Minister, said that the UK stands with Israel and recognises her “right to defend herself”.
France and Japan condemned Iran’s attack but called on all parties not to escalate the situation.
Did Iran warn the US of its attack?
The US informed Israel, before the attack, that it had intelligence that Iran was preparing a ballistic missile launch imminently. This allowed the IDF warn Israeli civilians that they should be prepared to seek refuge.
After the attack, US officials claimed that they received no warnings from the Iranian government.
In a separate statement, Iran’s UN mission said: “No notice has been given to the United States before our response.”
The Wall Street Journal, citing Arab officials from the region, claims that Iran “telegraphed to Arab countries” on Monday night that it would launch an attack similar to April’s.
Officials also said that Israel had sent clear signals back to Iran that, in response to any attack on Israeli soil, it would strike Iranian nuclear or oil installations.
What happens next?
The IDF Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said: “We’ll choose when to exact a price and demonstrate our precise, surprising offensive capabilities in accordance with directives from the political echelon.”
Axos quoted Israeli officials who said that Israel’s response could be “significant” as it could target oil-production facilities inside Iran, and other strategic sites.
Some analysts have suggested that Iran’s nukes could be targeted.
President Biden stated that the US “fully supports Israel” and he would discuss his response with Israel’s Prime Minister.
Biden was clear that any Israeli strike against Iran’s nuclear sites would be off limits. When reporters asked him if he would support an attack like this, he replied: “No.”
The IRGC warned Israel that Iran would respond with “crushing” force if it retaliated.
Israel responded to the attack in April by launching a rocket that hit a battery of air defence at an Iranian airbase. This was done after Western calls for restraint.
Read More @ www.bbc.com