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Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Sunday after Iran launched missiles at northern Israel. The Red Alert app, which provides early warning to Israeli neighborhoods under fire, identified several dozen communities that were under threat, including Bethlehem of Galilee, Tiberias, Haifa, and a host of others. The Israeli military identified the incoming munitions as missiles launched from Iran toward Israel and that the Jewish state’s defense systems were mobilized to intercept the threat. As of Sunday afternoon, Israeli forces said they intercepted all of the missiles launched in the initial wave of attacks. A short time later, the they gave Israeli residents the all-clear to leave their bomb shelters, but warned them to stay near their protected spaces in the event of another attack.
What reason was given for the attack? In a statement reported by the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, or IRIB, the Iranian Armed Forces said the strikes targeted Ramat David Air Base, an Israeli air base located about 12 miles southeast of Haifa. The Iranian military said the strikes were prompted by the displacement of residents of Tyre, Nabatiyeh, and Dahiyeh by recent Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon. Israels military has conducted regular strikes on the region as well as Lebanon’s capital of Beirut in recent days and weeks in an effort to eliminate the operation ability of the terror group Hezbollah.
In a separate statement reported by IRIB, the Iranian Armed Forces said any response by Israel will be met with continued attacks from Iran. The state-run media outlet also posted video it said showed residents of Tehran cheering as the missiles were launched.
What is Israel saying? Israeli officials on Sunday promised to respond and were weighing potential retaliatory measures, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post, citing unnamed sources.