October 02, 2024
By Samuel Ogunsona
The Prime Minister of Isreal, Benjamin Netanyahu, has promised to respond to Iran’s missiles attack.
Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel on Tuesday, prompting Israel to vow retaliation. The attack saw most of the missiles intercepted.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran’s action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran exercised its legitimate rights and dealt a decisive response to the Zionist regime’s aggression.
The Israeli military reported two people lightly injured by shrapnel, while a Palestinian was killed in Jericho by rocket debris. This marks Iran’s second direct attack on Israel, following a missile and drone attack in April.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin condemned Iran’s outrageous act of aggression, while Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned of severe consequences. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to make Iran pay for the attack.
In response to the missile barrage, the Israeli air force struck Hezbollah targets in Beirut, with reports indicating at least five hits in the city’s southern suburbs. Sirens blared across northern Israel, warning of incoming fire, but no casualties were reported.
The UN has called for a ceasefire, citing the broadening conflict in the Middle East. The escalation follows Israel’s targeted ground raids in south Lebanon and air strikes that killed hundreds.
The Pentagon announced Washington is boosting its forces in the Middle East by a few thousand troops. Israel, Iraq, and Jordan closed their airspace, while Lebanon reopened its airspace after initially closing it.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported 55 people killed in Israeli strikes on Tuesday. The country’s disaster management agency said 1,873 people have been killed since Israel and Hezbollah began trading cross-border fire.
In Gaza, the civil defense agency reported 19 people killed in Israeli bombings. The Israeli military said troops opened fire on dozens of Palestinians in central Gaza seen as an immediate threat.
Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel resulted in 1,205 deaths. Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,638 people in Gaza.
