A series of window-shaking explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and near Jerusalem, though it was not immediately clear whether the sounds were from missiles landing or being intercepted by Israeli defenses, or both.
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 terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israeli army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the country's air defense system was fully operational, detecting and intercepting threats. “However, the defense is not hermetic,” he said.
Orders to shelter in place were sent to Israelis’ mobile phones and announced on national television.
Iran took responsibility for launching dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel. The claim was made in a statement read aloud on state television as explosions could be heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
In its statement, Iran 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. It warned this attack represented only a “first wave,” without elaborating.
The air raid alerts in Israel came a day after Israel said it had begun limited ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
