GAt a quarter to two o'clock on Sunday night, the warning sirens sounded at the Dead Sea. Alarms were also raised in Jerusalem and the southern part of the West Bank, northern Israel and parts of the Negev Desert in the south. Detonations were heard in the air in Jerusalem and several other cities. The Iranian attack on Israel, which had been a threat for days, had begun. The regime in Tehran wanted to retaliate for the killing of a high-ranking commander of the Revolutionary Guard, who died in Damascus a week and a half ago, in an attack allegedly initiated by Israel.
Army spokesman Daniel Hagari appeared in front of the camera at three o'clock. The attack was a “massive escalation,” he said. “Iran carried out a large-scale coordinated attack on Israel tonight.” A “massive swarm” of “killer drones” and missiles of various types were fired. Tehran has “sent more than 300 threats of various kinds,” Hagari said on Sunday morning. Israel intercepted 99 percent of the flying objects and projectiles in cooperation with its allies.
According to Hagari, there was only minor damage to a military base in Israel. There were no deaths; a little girl was wounded. How Israel will respond to the attack remained unclear for the time being. The army spokesman said only that “numerous aircraft” from the Israeli Air Force were in the air, “ready to respond to any threat.” Speaking to journalists later, he said: “We are reviewing the situation and showing the plans to the cabinet; we are ready to do what is necessary to defend Israel.”
Army spokesman: All drones and cruise missiles intercepted
“The Iranian threat has met Israeli air and technological superiority, combined with a strong, combative coalition that has collectively intercepted the majority of threats.” Hagari spoke of a “very significant strategic success.” Of the 170 unmanned aerial vehicles that Iran has sent, “zero have penetrated Israeli territory.” Dozens were shot down by Israeli fighter jets, by Israeli air defense and “the air force and air defense of our partners.” None of the more than 30 cruise missiles that Iran fired entered Israel.
“Out of more than 120 ballistic missiles, only a few reached Israel and the rest were intercepted,” Hagari continued. “They struck in the area of the Nevatim air base and only caused minor damage to the infrastructure.” The base continues to function normally. Iran thought it had been able to paralyze the base.
Iran's military leadership, however, viewed the major attack as a success. “The reason for this operation was the Zionist regime's crossing of the red lines, which was unacceptable for us,” the Isna news agency quoted Iran's chief of general staff Mohammed Bagheri as saying on Sunday. The retaliatory strikes against Israel were successful.