Israel says it and its allies have intercepted the vast majority of more than 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran.
It says there were a small number of hits on its territory, including at an IDF base in southern Israel, while one person has been injured
Iran’s unprecedented, retaliatory attack marks the first time it has targeted Israel directly from its own soil.
Iran’s attack is a retaliation for a strike that killed an Iranian military commander in Damascus earlier this month, that Tehran accuses Israel of carrying out.
Sirens sounded across Israel and loud explosions were heard over Jerusalem, with air defence systems shooting down objects over the city.
President Biden tells Israel that American support for its ally is “ironclad”, adding that the US helped “take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles.”
UK Defence Minister Grant Shapps condemns the “senseless attack” and says additional RAF jets have been deployed to the region. Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said he has completed an operational situation assessment with senior officials in Israel’s defence establishment.
“Together with the United States and additional partners, we managed to defend the territory of the State of Israel. Very little damage was caused – this is the result of the IDF’s impressive operations,” he said.
However, he added: “The campaign is not yet over – we must remain alert and attentive to the instructions published by the IDF and Homefront Command. We must be prepared for every scenario. Having said this, we have thwarted the most significant wave [of the attack], and we did so successfully.”
BBC