Air raid sirens and explosions reported across Israel as defence systems intercept Iranian missiles, with falling debris causing injuries and damage.
JERUSALEM: Air raid sirens and explosions were reported across Israel on Thursday as Iran launched multiple waves of missiles.
The Israeli military said it had detected seven waves of incoming projectiles over the course of the day. Defence systems were activated to intercept the threats, triggering alerts in central Israel, Jerusalem, Haifa and parts of the occupied West Bank.
Falling shrapnel from intercepted missiles wounded seven people, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service. Six people were injured in the central city of Kafr Qassem, with one wounded in Tel Aviv.
AFP journalists in Tel Aviv reported hearing several blasts from the morning, with the first missile fire detected at 6:49 am local time. Footage showed a residential building in the Tel Aviv area struck by debris from an intercepted missile.
Images from the scene showed significant damage to an apartment, with metal fragments scattered inside. Rescue services and medics were deployed to assess the damage.
In Kafr Qassem, Mayor Haitham Taha said damage to several houses was caused by cluster munitions. AFP footage from the city showed a large crater at an impact site and several cars overturned by a blast.
The morning attacks followed more than 14 hours after the military last reported incoming missiles from Iran. Central Israel also came under rocket fire overnight from Lebanon, claimed by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Israeli media reported that six rockets were intercepted in that barrage. In a separate statement, the military said a soldier was killed in fighting in south Lebanon on Thursday.
Since the war in the Middle East began on February 28, the Israeli military has lost three soldiers in combat in southern Lebanon, where ground operations have expanded
