86 wounded by Iranian missile attacks on Israel after US strikes 3 Iran nuclear sites
Broad devastation at impact sites in Tel Aviv and nearby Ness Ziona; failed interceptor crashes in Haifa; IDF destroys primed Iranian launchers, foiling larger attack
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An Iranian ballistic missile barrage injured dozens of people in Israel on Sunday morning as nearly 30 projectiles targeted the country, causing widespread destruction to residential areas in Tel Aviv and the central town of Ness Ziona.
An air defense interceptor, meanwhile, malfunctioned and impacted the northern city of Haifa, causing damage and slightly wounding three people. No sirens had sounded in the city during the incident.
The Health Ministry reported that among those who arrived at hospitals were two in moderate condition, 77 in good condition, four victims suffering from acute anxiety, and three more people who were undergoing medical evaluation and whose condition had not been immediately determined.
Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv said there were two children among the five people who arrived at its emergency room with minor injuries.
The injuries were largely at the two impact sites in Tel Aviv and its Ness Ziona suburb, according to medical officials. One man was moderately hurt by shrapnel on the Route 431 highway, near Be’er Yaakov in central Israel.
The Iranian attack came hours after the United States bombed three key nuclear sites in Iran, joining an Israeli air campaign against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure that began on June 13.
Iran has responded to the Israeli attacks with near-daily barrages of missiles at cities, killing 24 people and wounding thousands, according to health officials and hospitals.
At least 27 missiles were launched from Iran in Sunday morning’s attack in two salvos, the military said, setting off sirens in north and central regions, as well as Jerusalem, between 7:30 and around 8 a.m.
The first salvo consisted of at least 22 missiles, and the second was made up of five, according to IDF assessments.
Shortly after the barrage, the IDF said it struck the missile launchers used in the attack.
The military added that before the attack, the air force bombed eight other ballistic missile launchers, including six that were primed for an immediate attack on Israel, foiling a larger barrage.
According to the IDF, the strikes on the primed ballistic missile launchers eliminated several Iranian soldiers at the launch sites. The IDF released footage of the strikes.
The Home Front Command said it was investigating whether Iran used a cluster bomb warhead in the attack, as it did last week, but did not initially find evidence that this was the case.
In Tel Aviv, skeletons of homes were left standing following the barrage, with the wooden frames visible amid a sea of debris.
Emergency services were still working to evacuate residents over an hour after the barrage.
The situation was complicated by the fact that a large elder care facility was damaged in the attack.
“There was a massive explosion. Everything shook. I don’t know what happened,” a tearful witness told The Times of Israel at the site.
Dazed families walked around carrying small bags with their important possessions, as security forces moved them away from the scene, citing concerns of falling debris or a building collapse.
“Houses here were hit very, very badly,” Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said at the scene. “Those who were in the shelter are all safe and well. The damage is very, very extensive, but in terms of human life, we are okay.”
Huldai said that a building badly damaged by the impact was empty of residents as it was in the midst of a refurbishment project.
The entire front of the broad, four-story building appeared to have been blown off.
Eran, whose home was hit in Ness Ziona, told Channel 13 that together with his family he had retreated to their home’s safe room.
“We heard a boom and the whole house shook, but the safe room remained intact,” he said.
Eran noted that the family dog was injured in the attack and taken to a veterinarian hospital for treatment.
Iran’s armed forces later said they targeted multiple sites in Israel, including Ben Gurion Airport, after the US attacked key nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic. The airport near Tel Aviv is the main international air gateway to the country.
“The twentieth wave of Operation Honest Promise 3 began using a combination of long-range liquid and solid fuel missiles with devastating warhead power,” the Iranian armed forces said in a statement quoted by Fars news agency.
The targets included the airport, a “biological research center,” logistics bases, and various layers of command and control centers, it said.
Failed interceptor explosion in Haifa
The IDF Home Front Command said it suspected that an air defense interceptor malfunctioned and crashed in Haifa during the Iranian attack, which was the reason for the warning sirens not sounding.
An early warning was issued via the cell broadcast system in Haifa, but no sirens sounded as no ballistic missiles were headed for the city, the Home Front Command said.
“This is not a malfunction in the warning system,” the IDF said, adding that the incident was under investigation.
A public square in a residential area of the city was left strewn with rubble, and surrounding shops and homes were heavily damaged.
Palm trees withstood the impact in a small public garden, while storefronts were bent, shop windows shattered, and air conditioners left dangling from building facades.
The impact wounded three people, who were in good condition, according to medics, and caused some damage.
Drone attack
In addition to the missiles, two drones apparently launched from Iran at Israel were shot down by the Israeli Air Force during the morning, the IDF said. The drones had triggered sirens in the southern Arava region.
Drones take several hours to reach Israel from Iran, meaning they were likely launched before the US bombed Iran’s nuclear sites.
Overnight, the IAF and Navy intercepted some 30 drones launched from Iran at Israel, the military said.
The military said the IAF also struck dozens of drones in Iran before they were launched at Israel. The IDF released footage showing the drone interceptions and strikes on drones in Iran.
Since the start of the war with Iran, over 500 drones launched at Israel have been shot down, according to the IDF.
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