Iran Launches 350 Missiles at Israel, 24 Killed

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have reported that Iran has launched approximately 350 ballistic missiles at Israel since Friday. The majority of these missiles were intercepted, but the latest wave of attacks, which occurred around 4 AM local time, saw about 40 missiles striking central Israel and the Haifa region. The nighttime assault resulted in three major explosion sites, leading to eight fatalities and 95 injuries. The casualties were distributed across Petah Tikva with four deaths, Haifa with three, and Bnei Brak with one. The total death toll from Iran's ballistic missile strikes since Friday has reached 24.

The IDF stated that Iran typically launches between 30 to 60 missiles per wave. Military officials noted that Iran had attempted larger-scale attacks, involving hundreds of missiles, but these were disrupted by Israeli Air Force strikes on Iran's ballistic missile launch sites. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that the latest attack employed new tactics, causing Israel's multi-layered defense system to "self-destruct." However, Israeli officials have long acknowledged that their air defense system is not impenetrable, with approximately 5% to 10% of missiles evading interception and hitting their targets.

The statistics include missiles that the IDF chose not to intercept, as they landed in uninhabited areas without damaging critical infrastructure, as well as those that successfully evaded interception and struck urban areas, causing casualties. The IDF has urged civilians to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command, seeking shelter in safe rooms or bomb shelters immediately upon receiving missile alert warnings.

The nighttime attacks targeted Iranian air defense infrastructure. The IDF conducted airstrikes on a military base in western Iran, while Iran launched approximately 100 missiles in response, aiming to maximize damage. Later in the day, Iran conducted its first daytime attack, launching "tens of missiles" at Israel. The IDF retaliated with strikes on dozens of ground-to-ground missile targets in western Iran. That evening, Iran launched additional missiles at northern Israel, hitting Haifa and Tel Aviv.

The IDF also reported that its fighter jets had shot down dozens of missiles within Iranian territory, preventing them from being launched at Israel. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran has posed threats to the region's energy infrastructure and transportation networks, leading to increased energy prices. The IDF emphasized that its air defense system, while robust, is not foolproof, and urged the public to remain vigilant and follow safety protocols during missile alerts.