IDF vows to strike heavily across Middle East after Iranian assault

Some 181 ballistic missiles were launched onto Israel on Tuesday night by Iran, the Jerusalem Post understands, leading to 1,800 rocket sirens sounding across the country. 

A Palestinian worker from Gaza was reportedly killed as a result of fragments of rockets that fell in the city of Jericho in the West Bank, according to Israeli media.

Magen David Adom's CEO Eli Bin announced that there was a direct hit to a building in north Tel Aviv on George Wise Street. MDA confirmed that three people had been wounded by falls in Tel Aviv.

A strike also hit a home in Tel Sheva, according to Maariv.

Multiple other falls were recorded in Tel Aviv, Dimona, Nabatim, Hora, Hod Hasharon, Beersheba, and Rishon Lezion.

Israeli air defenses shot down dozens of missiles that flew over Syria, Syrian army sources told Reuters. 

Video footage from KAN showed falling fragments of interceptors and missiles in the Dead Sea.

תיעוד: נפילת שברי מיירטים וטילים בים המלח@rubih67
(צילום: יובל אפריאט) pic.twitter.com/ojN9RY8hGA

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) October 1, 2024

Iran’s massive ballistic missile attack on Israel on October 1 is part of the Tehran regime’s attempt to make these types of attacks a new normal. They carried out a large attack in April and threatened another attack in August. This has led Israel into crisis each time as people must be prepared to go to shelters, and activities are canceled.

 We have become too used to the idea that hundreds of Iranian missiles can fly through the sky of Israel. Because Israel has air defenses, these kinds of unprecedented attacks, which would usually mark the beginning of a major war, are portrayed as acceptable. Media abroad portrays them as Iran trying to “retaliate” or “even the score” or “deter” Israel. This is a false attempt to downplay the Iranian threat.

Iran has shown in its recent attack that it can launch 180 ballistic missiles. The previous time, in April, it used more drones than missiles. Now, it is relying on the missiles, and it has also shown it can target certain areas of Israel with them. This is a major threat to the region. It cannot go unanswered. What that means is that Iran has for too long assumed a kind of privilege where it expected to be appeased. It expects that there will be no response. Iran’s regime assumes it can send millions of Israelis to shelters and that life in Tehran will continue as normal.

 Iran has been doing this for years. It attacked Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq energy facility in 2019 using drones and cruise missiles. It also carried out ballistic missile attacks on Erbil and other areas in the Kurdistan region of Iraq over the last several years. Iran has also launched ballistic missiles at Syria and Pakistan in January. It also attacked US forces at the Asad base in Iraq using ballistic missiles in 2020. Notice the pattern.

Israeli political leaders reacted to what they called a "declaration of war" by Iran on Tuesday night, as the Islamic Republic fired some 180 ballistic missiles into Israel as part of a massive aerial barrage.

National Unity MK Benny Gantz said, "The state of Israel has capabilities that were developed for years to strike Iran, and the government has [our] full backing to act with force and determination."

Democrats chairman Yair Golan said that the missile attack was a "declaration of war" but said that Israel should not be hasty. 

Labor party leader Yair Golan attends a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on July 22, 2024. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Israel should "ensure that an attack against Iran should be coordinated with the Americans and regional forces in order for the response to be decisive, precise, and effective," Golan said.

Hamas said on Tuesday it praises Iranian missile strikes avenging deaths of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan. 

In a statement on Telegram, it said, "We, in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), congratulate the heroic missile launching operation carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran, on large areas of our occupied territories, in response to the occupation’s ongoing crimes against the peoples of the region, and in revenge for the blood of our nation’s heroic martyrs; the martyr Mujahid Ismail Haniyeh, the martyr His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and the martyr Major General Abbas Nilforoushan."

The statement continued: "We affirm that this honorable Iranian response is a strong message to the Zionist enemy and its fascist government, on the path to deterring them and curbing their terrorism, as their crimes, arrogance, and violations of international laws and humanitarian norms have crossed all limits."

IDF Chief Spokesman Daniel Hagari at 8:30 p.m. following Iran's massive ballistic missile attack on Israel on Tuesday said, "We do not now see other aerial threats from Iran...So we issued instructions to [the Israeli populace] leave safety areas."

"During our defense, we shot down not a few [many] of the threats. There have been some hits in central Israel and in other parts of the country. We have not heard that there are wounded persons," said Hagari.

Further, he said, "Do not give recordings or information about where there are hits," as it provides intel to the enemy.

"We are ready on defense and on attack. We have plans. There will be consequences. We will act at the moment which we decide," he added. 

IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari (credit: IDF)

Moreover, Hagari said, "We are already in a multifront war. This was not the first time we were attacked by Iran. This was  a larger attack...There are no wounded...also because of our allies."

Due to the massive Iranian aerial attack on Israel, the IDF ordered the closure of the military area in the region of Dovev, Tzi'on and Malkia. 

Entrance to the area is strictly prohibited, they added. 
 

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday said she condemned the Iranian missile attack on Israel in the "strongest possible terms", saying Iran must stop the attack immediately.

"We have urgently warned Iran about this dangerous escalation. Iran must stop the attack immediately. It is driving the region further to the brink of the abyss," Baerbock said in a post on social media platform X.

Israel wird in diesen Stunden von Iran mit Raketen angegriffen. Den laufenden Angriff verurteile ich auf das Allerschärfste. Wir haben Iran vor dieser gefährlichen Eskalation eindringlich gewarnt. Iran muss den Angriff sofort einstellen. Er führt die Region weiter an den Abgrund.

— Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock (@ABaerbock) October 1, 2024

Iran warned it would launch another massive missile strike against Israel if the IDF responded to Tuesday’s night attack.

“Should the Zionist regime dare to respond or commit further acts of malevolence, a subsequent and crushing response will ensue,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations wrote in a post on X.

It also issued a veiled threat to the United States, stressing that “Regional states and the Zionists’ supporters are advised to part ways with the regime.”

This is a developing story.

IDF Spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari announced on Tuesday that the IDF was in a state of high preparedness and was ready and willing to respond to any and all attacks from Iran.

"Following developments in Iran, we are in [a state of] high preparedness. IDF is prepared and ready both on the offensive and defensive front. There will be consequences if Iran attacks Israel. Our US partners in CENTCOM are ready alongside us. We will know how to handle [any attack]."

The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel, a senior White House official said on Tuesday.

The United States is actively supporting preparations to defend Israel against this and a direct military attack on Israel by Iran would carry severe consequences for Iran, the official said.