Iran on Tuesday launched at least 180 missiles into Israel, raising fears of an all-out war in West Asia, reported AP.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said that the missile attack was in response to the killing of its commander Abbas Nilforoushan and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Al Jazeera reported, citing Tehran’s Fars news agency.
The attack, which targeted “three military bases” in the Tel Aviv area, also came in retaliation against the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps stated.
Lebanon-based Hezbollah is an ally of Hamas. Both organisations are backed by Iran.
“Our action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said early on Wednesday. “In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful.”
He added: “Israel’s enablers now have a heightened responsibility to rein in the warmongers in Tel Aviv instead of getting involved in their folly.”
Israel’s air defences intercepted several incoming Iranian missiles, Israeli Army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said, reported AP. He said that a few landed in central and southern Israel.
There were no reports of casualties due to the attacks, Hagari added, according to Al Jazeera. He said that the Army did not see “any more threats in our airspace”.
However, a 38-year-old Palestinian man died from shrapnel wounds in Jericho in the eastern occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera reported, citing the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Late on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country would retaliate against Iran, which he said had “made a big mistake tonight and it will pay for it”.
In the past two weeks, Israel has conducted a series of strikes in Lebanon, killing over a thousand persons. An Israeli airstrike on Beirut killed Nasrallah and Nilforoushan on Friday.
Hezbollah had on Sunday also confirmed the death of Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of the militant group’s Central Council, in Israeli strikes.
In July, Hamas said that Haniyeh was killed in “a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran”. Haniyeh had been leading the militant group’s political operations in recent years while in exile in Qatar and Turkey.
The United States called Iran’s missile attack on Israel a “significant escalation”, reported AP. However, the attack was “defeated and ineffective” partially due to assistance from the US military in shooting down some of the inbound missiles, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.
President Joe Biden, on his part, said that his administration was “fully supportive” of Israel, according to AP.
The attack came as Israeli troops launched ground raids into Lebanon.
Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily strikes for the past 10 months amid Tel Aviv’s war on the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
Israel’s military offensive against Gaza began on October 7 after Hamas launched an incursion into southern Israel, killing 1,200 persons and taking over 200 hostages. Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on Gaza since then. The attacks have killed more than 40,000 persons, including 16,500 children.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs expressed concern over the “escalation of security situation” in West Asia and reiterated the need for restraint and protection of civilians. “It is important that the conflict doesn’t take a wider regional dimension and we urge that all issues be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
India’s advisory for citizens in Israel
The Indian embassy in Tel Aviv on Tuesday urged citizens in Israel to stay vigilant and “avoid unnecessary travel” within the country. It also asked Indian nationals to register with the embassy.
“In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indian nationals in Israel are advised to stay vigilant and adhere to the safety protocols as advised by the local authorities,” it said in an advisory.
“Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within the country and stay close to safety shelters,” the advisory added. “The embassy is closely monitoring the situation and remains in regular touch with the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of all our nationals.”
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