Six people were killed in a shooting attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening, following a massive barrage of rockets from Iran towards Israel. The attack came moments before a massive barrage of missiles from Iran towards Israel, sending people towards bomb shelters across the country, including in Tel Aviv. Israel and the United States have warned there would be severe consequences in the event of an attack on Israel from Iran, which backs the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran took responsibility for launching dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, making the claim in a statement read aloud on state television. The statement referenced Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, both killed in an Israeli airstrike last week in Beirut. It also mentioned Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader in Hamas who was assassinated in Tehran in a suspected Israeli attack in July.
The air raid alerts in Israel came a day after Israel said it had begun limited ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire pounded southern Lebanese villages where people were ordered to evacuate, and Hezbollah militants responded by firing a barrage of rockets into Israel. There was no immediate word on casualties as fighting intensified and concerns of a wider regional war grew.
A senior White House official warned of “severe consequences” should Iran launch a ballistic missile against Israel. U.S. ships and aircraft are positioned in the region to assist Israel in the event of an attack from Iran. He also warned of consequences if Iran fired missiles into Israel and urged the public to stay close to sheltered areas.
Israeli troops have been operating near the border in armored trucks and helicopters, but no confirmation has been made that ground forces have crossed into Lebanon. U.S. officials have described launching small ground raids inside Lebanon as preparation for a wider operation. Neither the Lebanese army nor a U.N. peacekeeping force that patrols southern Lebanon have confirmed that Israeli forces entered.
Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afif dismissed false claims of an Israeli incursion and said Hezbollah is ready for direct confrontation with enemy forces. Israeli forces have carried out dozens of small raids inside Lebanon since October 8, when Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel after the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
Israel has said Hezbollah is preparing its own Oct. 7-style attack into Israel. Israeli military officials said troops participating in the latest incursion were within walking distance of the border, focused on villages hundreds of meters from Israel. The Israeli military was accused of lying to the media in 2021 when it released a statement implying ground troops had entered Gaza.
(AP)
