Iran Missile Attack: 1 Killed, Several Wounded in Central Israel
One person was killed and at least 15 others were wounded Friday and Saturday as Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel, with one missile carrying cluster munitions striking Tel Aviv, according to Israeli authorities and Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency service.
The fatality, a man in his 60s, was struck by shrapnel from a cluster munition that exploded near him in Tel Aviv, police said. Two men in their 50s were lightly injured when another submunition impacted a residential building in the same city. MDA reported treating a total of 15 people across the country with injuries ranging from light to moderate.
Earlier Friday evening, two people were lightly injured in the southern Israeli town of Kuseife by falling fragments from an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile, MDA reported. Those injured, a 37-year-old man and a woman in her 20s, were transported to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
The attacks began Friday night and continued into Saturday, with Iran targeting southern, central, and northern Israel, according to reports. While Saturday’s attacks did not result in injuries, they triggered air raid sirens in Beersheba and surrounding towns.
Footage circulating online, and confirmed by Emanuel Fabian of i24NEWS, shows the moment a cluster munition struck Tel Aviv during the Iranian attack. The employ of cluster munitions raises concerns due to the widespread dispersal of bomblets and the potential for unexploded ordnance to pose a continued threat to civilians.
The attacks came as Israel continued to conduct strikes within Iran, including reported strikes early Saturday in Tehran targeting what Israel described as “targets of the Iranian terror regime.”
According to the Times of Israel, Iran has fired more than 450 ballistic missiles at Israel since February 28, with Israeli military officials claiming a 92 percent interception rate for missiles heading towards populated areas and critical infrastructure. Nine missiles carrying conventional warheads have reportedly struck populated areas, causing significant damage in at least six instances. More than 30 incidents involving missiles carrying cluster bomb warheads have also been reported, resulting in over 150 separate impact sites.
Magen David Adom has been at the forefront of responding to the attacks, operating from a fortified underground nerve center near Ramla, equipped with advanced technology and a respirator system to ensure continued operation even in the event of chemical or conventional attacks, according to NBC News. The organization’s deputy director and chief of staff, Uri Shacham, emphasized the importance of maintaining this operational capacity “no matter how challenging the situation.”
As of Saturday, the total number of Israelis and foreign nationals killed by Iranian ballistic missiles in the ongoing conflict had reached 16, along with four Palestinians in the West Bank.