Iran on Tuesday launched at least 180 missiles into Israel, raising fears of an all-out war in West Asia, reported AP.
Tehran said that the missile attacks were in response to the killing of Iranian officials, and leaders of the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, according to Al Jazeera.
“Our action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said early on Wednesday. “In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful.”
He added: “Israel’s enablers now have a heightened responsibility to rein in the warmongers in Tel Aviv instead of getting involved in their folly.”
There were no reports of casualties due to the attacks, said Israeli Army spokesperson Daniel Hagari, Al Jazeera reported. He added that the Army did not see “any more threats in our airspace”.
However, a 38-year-old Palestinian man died from shrapnel wounds in Jericho in the eastern occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera reported, citing the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Late on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country would retaliate against Iran, which he said “made a big mistake tonight and it will pay for it”.
Israel had conducted a series of strikes in Lebanon, killing over a thousand persons in the past two weeks. Israeli airstrike on Beirut also killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah had on Sunday also confirmed the death of Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of the militant group’s Central Council, in Israeli strikes.
In July, Hamas had said that its top leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in “a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran”. Haniyeh had been leading the militant group’s political operations in recent years while in exile in Qatar and Turkey.
Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily strikes for the past 10 months amid Tel Aviv’s war on the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
Israel’s military offensive against Gaza began on October 7 after Hamas launched an incursion into southern Israel, killing 1,200 persons and taking over 200 hostages. Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on Gaza since then. The attacks have killed more than 40,000 persons, including 16,500 children.
The Indian embassy in Tel Aviv urged citizens in Israel to stay vigilant and “avoid unnecessary travel” within the country. It also asked Indian nationals to register with the embassy.
“In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indian nationals in Israel are advised to stay vigilant and adhere to the safety protocols as advised by the local authorities,” it said in an advisory.
“Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within the country and stay close to safety shelters,” the advisory added. “The embassy is closely monitoring the situation and remains in regular touch with the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of all our nationals.”