Iran fires missiles at Israel live updates: Sirens sound across country after strike
Iran has fired missiles at Israel, the country’s military said in a statement. Sirens could be heard across the country as people took shelter. The attack comes after a White House official said that Iran was preparing an imminent ballistic missile attack against Israel.
The United States was “actively supporting” Israel’s “defensive preparations”, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. “A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran.”
Pentagon officials say they are tracking the reports of missiles in the air, and have not fundamentally changed their view of the situation. No attacks targeting US troops have been reported, according to three defence officials familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues.
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Israeli foreign minister bans UN Secretary-General from entering the country
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Israeli army expands evacuation call in south Lebanon
Royce
The Israeli army on Wednesday called for the evacuation of additional villages in southern Lebanon, a day after a similar evacuation call after the military announced the launch of ground operations.
"Evacuate your homes immediately. Be careful, you must not go south. Any southward movement may put you in danger," said Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee in a post on social media, calling on residents to evacuate over 20 new villages and towns in south Lebanon.
-AFP
Two blasts near Israel's embassy in Copenhagen
Royce
Danish police said on Wednesday they were investigating two blasts in the vicinity of Israel's embassy in the northern outskirts of Copenhagen.
"No one has been injured, and we are carrying out initial investigations at the scene," Copenhagen police said on social media platform X.
"A possible connection to the Israeli embassy, located in the area, is being investigated," they said.
A large area was cordoned off amid heavy police presence, according to local media reports.
Investigators were seen wearing coverall suits as they combed the scene for evidence, tabloid B.T. reported.
The Israeli embassy was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Reuters.
- Reuters
Iran fired 200 missiles at Israel: State media
Royce
Iran fired 200 missiles at Israel including hypersonic weapons for the first time, state TV reported Wednesday, a barrage that Israel vowed to make Tehran "pay" for.
Iranian media carried online footage of what they said were missiles being fired, which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said were targeting "three military bases" around Tel Aviv and other bases.
The Revolutionary Guards said "90 percent" of the missiles "hit their targets" late Tuesday.
The Israeli military said Iran launched around 180 missiles at its territory, most of which were intercepted.
- AFP
Airlines scramble to divert flights after Iran missile attack
Royce
Israel's neighbours closed airspace and airline crews skirted an escalating conflict, with many seeking diversions, after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel.
A spokesperson for tracking service FlightRadar24 said flights diverted "anywhere they could", and a snapshot of regional traffic showed flights spreading in wide arcs to the north and south, with many converging on Cairo and Istanbul.
FlightRadar24 said Istanbul and Antalya in southern Turkey were becoming congested, forcing some airlines to divert south.
On Tuesday, about 80 flights, operated by the likes of Emirates, British Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and bound for major Middle East hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, were diverted to places such as Cairo and European cities, its data showed.
Many airlines have also suspended flights to the region or are avoiding use of affected air space.
- Reuters
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Palestinian man killed by Iran’s missile barrage on Israel - reports
Kurt Bayer
A Palestinian man in the West Bank was killed by Iran’s missile barrage on Israel, according to reports.
Named as Sameh Asli, 37, the victim was reportedly hit by missile shrapnel, either from an Iran-launched projectile or from the Iron Dome air defence system.
A photograph showed a fragment the size of a family car on a road in the West Bank village of Nu’eima, near Jericho.
Palestinian man killed by Iran’s missile barrage on Israel - reports
US condemns Iran attack on Israel as major escalation
NZME Admin
The United States has warned Iran it will face severe consequences for its ballistic missile attack on Israel, saying the barrage marked a significant escalation but appeared to have been thwarted.
President Joe Biden expressed solid US support for Israel and described Iran's attack on Tuesday as ineffective. He said there was a discussion under way about how Israel would respond, and he planned to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
US military forces in the region helped Israel and its air defences defeat the attack and the Biden administration was consulting with Israeli officials on next steps, said US national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
- Reuters
Israel says currently striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut
NZME Admin
The Israeli military said early Wednesday that it was carrying out air strikes in Beirut against targets of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
"The IDF (Israeli military) is currently striking Hezbollah terror targets in Beirut," the military said, as a Lebanese security source said Israeli had struck the capital's southern suburbs.
- AFP
Israeli strike hits south Beirut: Lebanon security source
NZME Admin
An Israeli strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs early Wednesday, a Lebanese security source said, after the Israeli military issued a new call for residents of parts of the area to evacuate.
"An Israeli air strike targeted Beirut's southern suburbs," the source said, requesting anonymity because not authorised to speak to the media. AFP correspondents heard the sound of an explosion from the area, which Israel has struck repeatedly since last week, saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites.
- AFP
Israel says it will continue to strike 'tonight' in Middle East 'powerfully'
NZME Admin
The Israeli military said Wednesday that its air force would continue to strike powerfully across the Middle East during the night after Iran attacked Israel with scores of missiles hours earlier.
"The air force continues to operate fully, and tonight it will continue to strike in the Middle East powerfully, as has been happening throughout the past year," military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement.
He vowed to act against Iran after it carried out a missile attack on Israel, saying Tehran was pushing the "Middle East towards escalation".
- AFP
Israeli strikes killed 55 people in Lebanon on Tuesday: health ministry
NZME Admin
Israeli strikes against Hezbollah targets in several regions of Lebanon on Tuesday killed 55 people and wounded 156, the country's health ministry said.
Lebanon's disaster management agency had said earlier that 1,873 people had been killed since Israel and Hezbollah began trading cross-border fire after the Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023.
- AFP
Iran threatens 'crushing attacks' if Israel responds
NZME Admin
Iran's Revolutionary Guards threatened Tuesday to carry out "crushing attacks" against Israel if it retaliated for an Iranian missile attack.
"If the Zionist regime reacts to Iranian operations, it will face crushing attacks," the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement carried by the Fars news agency.
The IRGC said the attack was "in accordance with the United Nations Charter".
It said the missile attack came "after a period of restraint" following an "attack on the sovereignty" of Iran -- a reference to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July.
The IRGC said the missile attacks targeted "three military bases" around Tel Aviv as well as air and radar bases, adding that "90 percent" of the missiles "hit their targets".
Later, Iran's armed forces warned against any direct military intervention by other countries in support of Israel, saying their "interests in the region will also face a powerful attack".
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran's "action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation".
The United States had earlier warned of an imminent Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel, and said it would have "severe" consequences for Tehran.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed the country's "decisive response" to what he called the Israeli "aggression".
Iranian media carried online footage of what they said were missiles being fired at Israel.
State television played upbeat music over the footage as its newscaster spoke of "the brave Iranian people".
It broadcast images of residents of Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, celebrating the missile attack in the streets, waving the yellow flag of Hezbollah and portraits of the Lebanese group's slain chief Hassan Nasrallah.
- AFP
Iran warns against any direct military intervention in support of Israel
NZME Admin
Iran's armed forces warned Wednesday against any direct military intervention in support of Israel in response to Iran's missile attack.
"In the event of direct intervention by countries supporting the regime (Israel)... their centres and interests in the region will also face a powerful attack by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the armed forces said in a statement quoted by Fars news agency.
- AFP
Harris pledges 'unwavering' support for Israel's security
NZME Admin
US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Tuesday promised her "unwavering" commitment to the security of Israel after it came under a massive ballistic attack from arch-foe Iran.
"I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist militias," Harris said.
- AFP
Israel's Netanyahu says 'whoever attacks us, we attack them'
NZME Admin
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday called Iran's massive missile attack on Israel "a big mistake" and vowed to make Tehran "pay for it".
"Iran made a big mistake tonight and will pay for it," said Netanyahu hours after the attack, and warned: "Whoever attacks us, we attack them".
- AFP
US stocks fall on Middle East tensions, port strike
NZME Admin
Wall Street stocks fell Tuesday as markets weighed the latest flare-up in tensions between Iran and Israel and debated the effects of a major US port strike.
Iran launched around 180 missiles at Israel on Tuesday in response to the killings of Tehran-backed militant leaders, prompting alarm across the region and vows of retaliation.
Stocks were in the red the whole session and the uncertainty pushed both the Dow and S&P 500 back from Monday's record closes.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished at 42,156.97, down 0.4 percent but about 200 points above its session lows.
The broad-based S&P 500 fell 0.9 percent to 5,708.75, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 1.5 percent to 17,910.36.
Karl Haeling of LBBW said the market's partial recovery from session lows reflected that Iran's action appeared less severe than feared.
"My expectation is that neither Israel nor Iran want a broader war," Haeling said.
Analysts also cited worries about a potential reignition of inflation after US dockworkers went on strike, shuttering ports on the East and Gulf Coasts.
Among individual companies, Apple fell 2.9 percent following a Barclays report that the tech giant lowered its orders for new semiconductors, a sign that demand for new iPhones is lagging expectations.
- AFP
Biden says US 'fully supportive' of Israel after Iran attacks
NZME Admin
President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the United States was "fully supportive" of Israel after Iran's ballistic missile attacks, describing Tehran's assault as "defeated and ineffective."
Biden said he would now discuss with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about how to respond to Iran, but that it remained to be seen what shape that response would take.
"The attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective, and this is a testament to Israeli military capability and the US military," Biden told reporters at the White House.
"Make no mistake, the United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel."
Asked by reporters what the response towards Iran would be, Biden replied: "That's in active discussion right now. That remains to be seen."
Biden said his team had been in contact throughout the attacks with Netanyahu's and that he would be speaking to the Israeli prime minister himself.
"I'll be talking to him and my message will depend on what we finally conclude is needed," he said.
- AFP
Iron Dome: Israel's key anti-missile shield
NZME Admin
Israel's Iron Dome air defence system has intercepted thousands of rockets since it went into operation in 2011, providing the country with crucial cover during times of conflict.
It has been heavily relied upon to protect military and civilian sites from frequent barrages of rockets fired from Gaza and Lebanon in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Israel's air defences were in operation on Tuesday night, when Iran fired missiles at Israel in what it said was a response to Israel's killing of Tehran-backed militant leaders.
Israel's military chief Herzi Halevi said Tuesday that the Iranian barrage had been blunted partly by "a very strong aerial defence array".
The system had also intercepted more than 200 drones and missiles launched by Iran on April 13.
Israel initially developed the Iron Dome alone after the 2006 Lebanon War, and was later joined by the United States, which has provided its defence know-how and billions of dollars in financial support for the program.
The system has an interception rate of around 90 percent, according to Israeli defence firm Rafael, which helped design it.
Here's how it works:
- Three-part system -
The Iron Dome is one part of Israel's multi-tiered missile defence systems and is designed to intercept short-range rockets at a distance of up to 70 kilometres (43 miles).
Each Iron Dome battery is made up of three main sections: a radar detection system, a computer to calculate the incoming rocket's trajectory, and a launcher that fires interceptors if the rocket is deemed likely to hit a built-up or strategic area.
It sits alongside other missile defence systems like the Arrow, which counters ballistic missiles, and David's Sling, for medium-range rocket or missile attacks.
- How much does it cost?
Each Iron Dome interceptor costs $40,000 to $50,000 to produce, according to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The think tank estimated that a complete system, including the radar, computer and three to four launchers -- each containing up to 20 interceptors -- costs around $100 million to produce.
Israel has 10 such systems in operation, according to Raytheon, which helps manufacture the Iron Dome. Other estimates have put the figure slightly higher.
- Bipartisan US support -
The Iron Dome is one of the strategic pillars of the US-Israeli alliance that has been followed by successive Democratic and Republican administrations.
In August 2019 the US Army signed a contract to purchase two Iron Dome batteries to enhance its own short-range missile defence capabilities.
- AFP
Israel says Iran's aim was to 'kill thousands' of civilians
NZME Admin
Iran's missile attack against Israel on Tuesday aimed to "kill thousands" of Israeli civilians and was "unprecedented", a military spokesman told AFP.
"The intention to kill civilians is unprecedented. The goal of Iran was to kill thousands of civilians" by launching approximately 180 missiles on Israel, the spokesman said.
- AFP
Twice as many missiles as earlier this year – Pentagon
NZME Admin
Iran launched about twice as many ballistic missiles Tuesday as it did in its previous direct attack on Israel earlier this year, the Pentagon said.
The attack was "about twice as large in terms of the number of ballistic missiles that they launched," Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told journalists.
"Initial reports indicate that Israel was able to intercept the majority of incoming missiles and that there was minimal damage on the ground," Ryder said, noting that two American destroyers fired about a dozen interceptors as part of the defensive effort.
- AFP
"Attack will have consequences" – Israeli military
NZME Admin
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the latest Iranian "attack will have consequences. We have plans, and we will operate at the place and time we decide".
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that "If the Zionist regime reacts to Iranian operations, it will face crushing attacks", according to a statement carried by the Fars news agency.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran had exercised its "legitimate rights" and dealt "a decisive response... to the Zionist regime's aggression".
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Iranian attack was "unacceptable" and called on the whole world to condemn it.
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier said he was concerned about "a direct conflict that seems to be underway between Iran and Israel".
Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on social media platform X that the attack was "leading the region further towards the abyss".
Iran-backed group Hamas praised the Iranian attack, saying it was "in revenge for the blood of our heroic martyrs".
And Tehran-aligned armed factions in Iraq threatened to target "all" US forces in the country if Iran comes under attack.
-AFP
No injuries resulting from attacks – Israeli military
NZME Admin
Israel's military has sounded the all-clear and said Israelis were free to leave their shelters.
Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the military was not aware of any injuries resulting from the Iranian missile attacks.
- Reuters
"It's a major concern" – Mark Mitchell on Newstalk ZB
NZME Admin
Cabinet Minister Mark Mitchell told Newstalk ZB’s Heather du Plessis-Allan the conflict is a cause for concern not just in the middle east region, but globally.“
I am very concerned about it, I think it’s bad for the Middle East, it’s terrible for Israel and the Palestinians and of course global instability,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell said he’d like to see leaders step forward in movements towards a two state solution.
“None of us want to see the conflict that’s going on between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah and it’s escalating, it’s a major concern,” he said.
In reference to Labour MP Damien O’Connor’s recent post where he appeared to justify Hamas' 7 October attack on Israel, Mitchell said it’s important politicians act responsibly.
“I’m not sure what he was thinking there it showed very poor judgement…that’s where we as members of Parliament have to behave responsibly,” he said.
There have been calls for an apology from O’Connor after he posted on X/Twitter saying “Palestinians have every right to do whatever they did on October 7th”.
O’Connor removed the post but has not yet apologized. Labour MP Ginny Anderson told du Plessis-Allan, O’Connor understands it was the wrong move, but just feels strongly about the topic.
“He feels incredibly strongly that the government isn’t doing enough in this space and I think that’s why he did it,” she said.
Listen: The Front Page - international relations expert Al Gillespie on Middle East tensions
NZME Admin
Iran: "decisive response" – White House: "defeated and ineffective"
NZME Admin
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed Tuesday night's missile attack against Israel as a "decisive response" to what he called Israeli "aggression"
"In accordance with legitimate rights and with the aim of (establishing) peace and security in Iran and the region, a decisive response has been made to the Zionist regime's aggression," Pezeshkian posted on X.
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The White House said on Tuesday Iran's ballistic missile assault on Israel was "defeated and ineffective", warning that Tehran could expect severe consequences for the attacks.
"Based on what we know at this point, this attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective," Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden's national security advisor, told reporters.
Sullivan hailed US efforts to repel some of the attacks, which involved American naval destroyers shooting down some of the missiles.
Iran's attack was however a "significant escalation" of tensions in the Middle East, Sullivan said -- adding that it was an "ongoing situation" that meant he could only answer a few questions before getting back to his desk. The White House official would not say what consequences Tehran could expect to face, saying it would discuss "next steps" with Israel.
"We have made clear that there will be consequences, severe consequences, for this attack, and we will work with Israel to make that the case," Sullivan said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said separately that Iran's missile attack was "unacceptable" and that the entire world should condemn it."Initial reports suggest that Israel, with the active support of the United States and other partners, effectively defeated this attack," Blinken told reporters.
- AFP
At least six dead in suspected Tel Aviv terror attack
NZME Admin
Reuters has reported that two Palestinians were shot dead after going on a deadly killing spree on Tel Aviv's light rail system, killing six and wounding nine others, Israel says.
At least six people were killed and nine wounded in a suspected shooting and stabbing terror attack in Tel Aviv, Israeli police said.
They said two "terrorists" started a killing spree on the Tel Aviv light rail on Tuesday and continued on foot before being killed by civilians and inspectors using personal pistols.
There has been no claim of responsibility but Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said they were Palestinians from the West Bank city of Hebron.
The hardline Smotrich said he will demand of the cabinet that members of the suspects' families be deported to Gaza and their homes destroyed.
Trump says attack wouldn't have happened on his watch
Kurt Bayer
Former US president and election hopeful Donald Trump says Iran's attack wouldn't have happened if he was president.
He posted on his Truth Social app today after missiles were coming down on Israel.
The attacks came just after the White House warned such a move from Iran could be coming.
'Israel believes it can do what it wants' - Beirut journalist reacts
Kurt Bayer
Beirut Report Editor-in-chief Habib Battah told Newstalk ZB’s Heather Du Plessis-Allan it's not clear if Iran’s attacks on Israel will prompt further involvement from the United States.
“There’s been talk of billions of dollars of US investment in Israel bombs already … they’re already involved, it’s unclear if they’re going to be involved to a higher extent now,” he said.
Battah told Du Plessis-Allan that Israel has no incentive to stop their own attacks, with full backing from the United States and other countries in Europe.
“There’s been no criticism … I think Israel believes it can do what it wants,” he said.
He said it’s important to note that Israeli citizens get a warning on their phones to take shelter when missiles are on the way, Palestinians and Lebanese civilians, on the other hand, do not.
“They get no warning and often where they go to shelter they get targeted there too… It’s a very uneven playing field,” he said.
Reports eight reported dead after gunmen attack in Tel Aviv
Kurt Bayer
There are reports that eight people have been killed in an attack by gunmen in Tel Aviv, Israel's main city.
The attack is believed to have occurred at a light rail station.
Local police say the gunmen have been "neutralised".
Social media and local news reports have shown photos of the reported gunmen and bodies lying on the ground.
Live: Iran launches missile attack on Israel
Kurt Bayer
ARTICLE CONTINUES
US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris met with their national security team to discuss Iran’s plan to launch missiles at Israel, the White House announced Tuesday. The officials “reviewed the status of US preparations to help Israel defend against these attacks and protect US personnel in the region,” the White House said.
The attack follows Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah, a key Tehran ally, and as Israeli ground forces crossed into Lebanon.
The attack by Iran is “likely to be extensive in scope”, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israel Defence Forces spokesman, said after the US warned that such an attack was imminent.
Hagari urged Israelis to stay near shelters and to follow instructions from Israel’s Home Front Command, which issues directives to civilians amid threats.
Seven people were also injured in a shooting attack in Jaffa, Israel, a spokesperson for Israel’s emergency medical services told local media.
Magen David Adom, the Israeli medical organisation, said its paramedics and EMTs were providing medical treatment in response to reports of a shooting at 7pm local time. Two people were critically injured, a spokesperson for the organisation said.
A police spokesperson told local media that the two attackers were killed.
At a hotel in West Jerusalem, guests hunkered down in a stairway, mostly joking and passing around water bottles amid waves of sirens signalling the threat of a missile strike. For others the fear was palpable: one older man drank straight from a bottle of whisky. Guests tried to calm a young woman who was crying.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s office said in a statement that he spoke with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin about “Iran’s intentions to attack Israel”. They also discussed US-Israeli co-operation for defending Israel from an attack, the statement said.
Israeli forces have been conducting raids in southern Lebanon for months, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israel Defence Forces spokesman, said. He added that Israel’s incursion into southern Lebanon would represent a continuation and broadening of those attacks.
More than 70 cross-border operations in Lebanese territory were carried out over the past year, according to an Israeli military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity under briefing ground rules. Israeli forces spent hundreds of days and 200 nights, an average of three nights in an operation if it was overnight, taking out more than 1000 enemy sites, the official said.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the UN force that administers the Blue Line on the Israel-Lebanon border, said that it was notified by Israel on Monday of the IDF’s intentions to “undertake limited ground incursions into Lebanon”. The UN force said that “any crossing into Lebanon is in violation of Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity”. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the revelation of earlier raids.
The Israeli operation is focused on dismantling Hezbollah’s infrastructure in villages in southern Lebanon, Hagari said. “We are focusing in the area of those villages, an area next to our border,” where Hagari said Hezbollah has built infrastructure to prepare for what he described as a planned attack similar to the one carried out in Israel by Hamas on October 7.
“We’re not going to Beirut. We’re not going to the cities in southern Lebanon,” Hagari said, implicitly addressing concerns from international leaders that Israel’s incursion would be expansive. Hagari denied that Israel’s actions amount to an “incursion”.
Israel has struck Beirut and its suburbs, but Hagari said the operations by ground troops would not go that far north.
A US National Security Council spokesperson said that the US understands Israel was “conducting limited operations” but that “mission creep can be a risk and we will keep discussing that with the Israelis”.
The ground invasion began overnight Monday (local time), in a number of border villages that the Israel Defence Forces said “pose an immediate and real threat to Israeli settlements on the northern border”.
Ground forces are being supported by air force and artillery strikes, on what the IDF said were Hezbollah military targets in the area.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel nearly a year ago in support of the militant group Hamas in Gaza, as Israel retaliated against the October 7 attack by Hamas-led militants on Israeli communities bordering the Gaza Strip. Israel and Hezbollah have frequently exchanged fire across the Israeli-Lebanon border.
The invasion that began late Monday follows weeks of escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, with explosions targeting electronic devices used by the militant group, the killing of its longtime leader and stepped-up Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, including in the capital, Beirut.
More than 1200 people have been killed in Lebanon since mid-September, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Israeli attacks in Lebanon have sent parts of the country spiralling into a humanitarian disaster, and about a million people are displaced.
A Lebanese military official told The Washington Post that, despite Israeli reports, Israeli forces have not yet crossed into Lebanese territory but said “this is a critical moment”, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter and citing reports of Israel’s intention to launch ground operations.
At least three people were killed and nine injured when Israeli warplanes and drones struck densely populated parts of Damascus, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said. Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned the alleged attack, according to SANA, stating that Israel is threatening regional and international peace and security.
Video circulating on social media showed an airstrike hitting a residential area in the Mezzeh district of Syria’s capital. Other footage showed a car engulfed in flames on a street below an apartment block.
Among those killed was Syrian Arab News Agency television anchor Safaa Ahmad, the network said.