Iran fires at least 180 missiles into Israel as regionwide conflict grows

JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran launched not less than 180 missiles into Israel on Tuesday, the newest in a collection of quickly escalating assaults between Israel and Iran and its Arab allies that threatens to push the Center East nearer to a regionwide warfare.

Iran mentioned the barrage was retaliation for a collection of devastating blows Israel has landed in latest weeks towards the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has been firing rockets into Israel since the warfare in Gaza started. Earlier Tuesday, Israel launched what it mentioned is a restricted floor incursion in southern Lebanon.

Israelis scrambled for bomb shelters as air raid sirens sounded and the orange glow of missiles streaked throughout the evening sky.

Israeli army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari mentioned the nation’s air defenses intercepted most of the incoming Iranian missiles, although some landed in central and southern Israel. Israel’s nationwide rescue service mentioned two individuals had been flippantly wounded by shrapnel. Within the West Financial institution, Palestinian officers mentioned a Palestinian man was killed by a missile that fell close to the city of Jericho, although it wasn’t clear the place the assault originated.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed late Tuesday to retaliate towards Iran, which he mentioned “made an enormous mistake tonight and it’ll pay for it.”

Iran’s armed forces joint chief of employees Gen. Mohammad Bagheri warned that Iran would reply to motion towards its territory with strikes on Israel’s total infrastructure with “multiplied depth.”

Israeli airstrikes and artillery fireplace pounded southern Lebanese villages on Tuesday, and Hezbollah responded with a barrage of rockets into Israel. There was no rapid phrase on casualties.

Moments earlier than Iran launched its missiles, a taking pictures assault in Tel Aviv left not less than six individuals useless, police mentioned, including that the 2 suspects who had opened fireplace on a boulevard within the Jaffa neighborhood had additionally been killed.

Fears of a broader battle

Hezbollah and Hamas are shut allies backed by Iran, and every escalation has raised fears of a wider warfare within the Center East that might attract Iran and the US, which has rushed army property to the area in help of Israel.

Israel and Iran have fought a shadow warfare for years, however not often have they arrive into direct battle.

The U.N. Safety Council scheduled an emergency assembly for Wednesday morning to handle the escalating state of affairs within the Center East.

Iran launched one other direct assault on Israel in April, however few of its projectiles reached their targets. Many had been shot down by a U.S.-led coalition, whereas others apparently failed at launch or crashed in flight.

White Home Nationwide Safety Adviser Jake Sullivan referred to as Iran’s missile assault a “vital escalation,” though he mentioned it was in the end “defeated and ineffective,” partially due to help from the U.S. army in taking pictures down among the inbound missiles. President Joe Biden mentioned his administration is “absolutely supportive” of Israel and that he’s in “lively dialogue” with aides about what the suitable response ought to be to Tehran.

Iran mentioned it fired Tuesday’s missiles as retaliation for assaults that killed leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Iranian army. It referenced Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, each killed in an Israeli airstrike final week in Beirut. It additionally talked about Ismail Haniyeh, a prime chief in Hamas who was assassinated in Tehran in a suspected Israeli assault in July.

Israel has mentioned it should proceed to strike Hezbollah till it’s secure for residents displaced from houses close to the Lebanon border to return. Hezbollah has vowed to maintain firing rockets into Israel till there’s a cease-fire in Gaza with Hamas, which can be supported by Iran.

Questions raised over whether or not Israeli forces entered

Whereas Hezbollah denied Israeli troops had entered Lebanon, the Israeli military introduced it had additionally carried out dozens of covert floor raids into southern Lebanon going again almost a yr.

If true, it will be one other humiliating blow for Hezbollah, essentially the most highly effective armed group within the Center East. Hezbollah has been reeling from weeks of focused strikes that killed Nasrallah and a number of other of his prime commanders.

On Tuesday morning, Israel warned individuals in southern Lebanon to evacuate to the north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (36 miles) from the border and far farther than the Litani River, which marks the northern fringe of a U.N.-declared zone supposed to function a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after their 2006 warfare.

The border area has largely emptied out over the previous yr as the 2 sides have traded fireplace.

An Related Press reporter noticed Israeli troops working close to the border in armored vans, with helicopters circling overhead, however couldn’t verify floor forces had crossed into Lebanon.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric mentioned Tuesday the U.N. peacekeeping power in southern Lebanon has seen sporadic incursions by Israeli army forces, however “they haven’t witnessed a full-scale invasion.”

Forward of the Israeli announcement of an incursion, U.S. officers on Monday mentioned Israel had described launching small raids inside Lebanon because it ready for a wider operation.

Hagari, the Israeli military spokesman, mentioned Israel had carried out dozens of small raids inside Lebanon since Oct. 8, when Hezbollah started firing rockets into Israel after the outbreak of the warfare in Gaza. He mentioned Israeli forces had crossed the border to gather info and destroy Hezbollah infrastructure, together with tunnels and weapons. Israel has mentioned Hezbollah was getting ready its personal Oct. 7-style assault into Israel. It was not instantly potential to substantiate these claims.

Hagari mentioned Israel’s goals for its present floor offensive in Lebanon had been restricted. “We’re not going to Beirut,” he mentioned.

The Israeli army was accused of mendacity to the media in 2021 when it launched an announcement implying floor troops had entered Gaza. The army performed down the incident as a misunderstanding, however well-sourced army commentators in Israel mentioned it was a part of a ruse to lure Hamas into battle.

Israel strikes extra targets and Hezbollah fires rockets

The Israeli army mentioned Hezbollah had launched rockets at central Israel on Tuesday, setting off air raid sirens and wounding a person. Hezbollah mentioned it fired salvos of a brand new form of medium-range missile on the headquarters of two Israeli intelligence companies close to Tel Aviv. Hezbollah additionally launched projectiles at Israeli communities close to the border, concentrating on troopers with out wounding anybody.

Israel’s statements indicated it’d focus its floor operation on the slender strip alongside the border, quite than launching a bigger invasion geared toward destroying Hezbollah, because it has tried in Gaza towards Hamas.

Israeli strikes have killed over 1,000 individuals in Lebanon over the previous two weeks, almost 1 / 4 of them girls and youngsters, in line with the Well being Ministry. A whole bunch of hundreds have fled their houses.

Israel declared warfare towards the Hamas militant group within the Gaza Strip after Hamas’ cross-border assault on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 others hostage. Greater than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and simply over half the useless have been girls and youngsters, in line with native well being officers.

Hezbollah is a well-trained militia, believed to have tens of hundreds of fighters and an arsenal of 150,000 rockets and missiles. The final spherical of preventing in 2006 resulted in a stalemate, and each side have spent the previous 20 years getting ready for his or her subsequent showdown.

The group’s appearing chief, Naim Kassem, mentioned Monday that Hezbollah commanders killed in latest weeks have already been changed.

Because the preventing intensifies, European nations have begun pulling their diplomats and residents out of Lebanon.

___

Mroue reported from Beirut and Madhani reported from Washington. Related Press writers Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut; Zeke Miller and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington; and Related Press producer Mehdi Fattahi in Tehran contributed.

___

Comply with AP’s warfare protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war