JERUSALEM — An early morning attack on the central Israeli town of Tira resulted in injuries to 11 individuals, coinciding with a declaration from Iran’s Supreme Leader promising a strong retaliation against Israel for recent military actions.
The predawn assault on Tira came after air raid sirens sounded throughout central Israel and was one of multiple barrages fired from Lebanon early that day. While many of the missiles were intercepted by Israeli air defense systems, some projectiles fell in less populated areas.
According to Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency services, 11 people suffered injuries from shrapnel and broken glass in a direct hit on a local building in Tira, which is predominantly inhabited by Israeli Arabs. Among the injured, three were reported to be in moderate condition while the others had less serious wounds.
Visuals from the scene disclosed significant damage to the roof and upper floors of the impacted three-story structure, as well as to vehicles parked below.
The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching missiles toward the Israeli military’s Unit 8200 base located in Glilot, near Tel Aviv, and for targeting the Palmachim Air Base in central Israel with explosive drones, asserting that they achieved accurate hits on their intended targets.
However, the Israeli military has not confirmed that either of these bases was successfully targeted or struck. Hezbollah articulated that the missile strike on Glilot was a retaliation for what they termed as “massacres” committed by Israel, signalling a likely connection to the earlier strike on Tira, which lies approximately 20 kilometers (11 miles) from Glilot.
A Tira resident, Tamar Abdel Hai, expressed the fear the attack instilled in the community, urging leaders both within the Arab world and in Israel to take action to halt the ongoing conflict. “It’s enough,” he stated.
Hezbollah has also reported launching salvos of rockets targeting northern Israeli towns, including Dalton, Yesud HaMa’ala, and Bar Yohai.
Regarding potential future assaults, Iran’s leadership signaled that the recent attacks may merely be a precursor to a more substantial strike against Israel. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, issued a statement threatening severe repercussions for both Israel and the U.S. over their military actions targeting Iran and its allies, particularly following Israel’s strikes on October 26 that hit Iranian military installations.
Khamenei emphasized that both the “Zionist regime” and the United States would undoubtedly face a devastating response for their actions against Iran and its supporters.
Further Iranian strikes could intensify regional tensions and potentially lead to broader conflict. Currently, Israel is engaged in battles against Iran-aligned militant groups, notably Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The ongoing conflict with Hezbollah has inflicted significant damage on the group but has also caused widespread destruction and loss of life in southern Lebanon. Reports from the Lebanese Health Ministry documented at least 52 fatalities due to Israeli airstrikes, which targeted northeastern agricultural villages on Friday, leading to many more injuries.
Since the escalation of hostilities in 2023, the casualty toll in Lebanon has surpassed 2,897, with an additional 13,150 wounded, according to recent updates from the Lebanese Health Ministry. United Nations agencies estimate that Israel’s military campaigns have displaced around 1.4 million individuals in Lebanon.
Furthermore, roughly 60,000 residents from northern Israeli communities near Lebanon have been displaced for over a year. In parallel, Israel has intensified its operations against the remaining Hamas fighters in Gaza, raising alarms about the humanitarian conditions for civilians still in the area.
The World Health Organization announced plans to restart its polio vaccination efforts on Saturday, albeit limited to Gaza City, while other regions remain cut off due to Israel’s tightening blockade.
In the ongoing conflict in Gaza, over 43,000 Palestinians have reportedly lost their lives since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants conducted an assault resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis and took approximately 250 individuals as hostages back to Gaza. Health officials in Hamas-controlled Gaza do not differentiate between combatant and civilian casualties, but indicate that women and children comprise more than half of those deceased in the territory.
