Israel army says Iran committed 'grave mistake' by firing missiles
- Air raid sirens sounded across large areas of northern and central Israel
Iran launched missiles at Israel, its first attack since an April 8 truce, prompting Israel to accuse Tehran of a "grave mistake" and vow retaliation, while reporting all missiles were intercepted.
- Iran's first missile attack on Israel since the April 8 truce.
- Israel's accusation of a "grave mistake" and vow of retaliation.
- Iran's justification for the attack as a "warning" after an Israeli airstrike.
JERUSALEM: Israel accused Tehran of committing a “grave mistake” on Sunday after reporting it had come under several waves of Iranian missile fire, the first such attack since a truce was announced on April 8 in the Middle East War.
Air raid sirens sounded across large areas of northern and central Israel, including the cities of Haifa, Caesarea and Hadera, according to the military.
Afterwards, Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir vowed the military would “strike the enemy with force as soon as the green light is given”, the military said.
In a series of statements issued over a short period, the military said it had detected missiles launched from Iran and that all of them had been intercepted.
Responding to a request for details, the military said a total of 11 missiles had been fired from Iran.
Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom said there were no reports of any casualties from the missiles, but some people were injured while rushing to shelters.
Also read: Iran fires missiles at Israel for first time since truce
“The Iranian terrorist regime has made a grave mistake by once again choosing the path of terror,” military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a televised statement.
Tehran said the missile launches were intended as a “warning” following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs earlier in the day, adding that any further aggression would be met with a “broader” response against all US-Israeli targets in the region.
Israel said it had targeted a Hezbollah command centre in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.
The Iran-backed group has been engaged in hostilities with Israel since shortly after the outbreak of the wider regional conflict.
“We struck in Dahiyeh in response to Hezbollah’s relentless attacks on the communities of northern Israel,” Defrin said.
“The IDF will continue to operate throughout Lebanon and will intensify its actions against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation.”
All schools across Israel will be shut Monday, the education ministry and the military’s Home Front Command said in a joint statement on Sunday evening.
The Middle East war, triggered by a US-Israeli offensive against Tehran that began on February 28, entered its 100th day on Sunday.
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