Iran has fired more than 300 kamikaze drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles into Israeli territory, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. He said the defense systems of Israel and its allies in the region intercepted most of the missiles and drones. According to him, dozens of them were shot down outside the territory of the country, the BBC reported.
US President Joe Biden said Washington had "helped Israel destroy almost all" of them.
"Iran and its proxy forces operating from Yemen, Syria and Iraq have carried out an unprecedented air attack against military targets in Israel," the White House said and strongly condemned the air attack.
Biden cut short his trip to Delaware and returned to the White House at a time when tensions in the Middle East are rising.
After speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said: "I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a unified diplomatic response to Iran's audacious attack."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the attack was aimed at "specific targets" and was carried out "in response to the repeated crimes of the Zionist regime [Israel], including the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus."
The strike by several Iranian missiles caused minor damage to an Israeli military site, Hagari said. He did not specify which facility it was. According to Israeli media, a military base in the Negev desert in southern Israel may have been damaged.
On Sunday morning, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said he had completed an assessment of the operational situation with senior defense officials.
"Together with the United States and other partners, we managed to protect the territory of the State of Israel. There was very little damage - this is the result of impressive operations by the IDF," he said.
However, he added: "This is not the end of the campaign - we must remain vigilant and carefully follow the instructions issued by the IDF and the Home Front Command. We must be prepared for any scenario. At the same time, we have repelled the biggest wave of attack and we did it successfully".
Israel's emergency services said a seven-year-old Bedouin girl was injured by shrapnel from falling debris in the southern district of Arad.
Shortly after the attack began, Iran issued a statement saying it would not launch new strikes, but warned Israel not to retaliate and the US not to intervene.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the night strikes on Israeli territory, saying: "We intercepted [the missiles and drones]. We blocked them. Together we will win!"
How the attack unfolded
On Saturday night, the Israeli military said Iran had fired drones into Israeli territory, including over Iraqi territory. Shortly thereafter, the Iranian military fired ballistic and cruise missiles.
Israel, Lebanon and Iraq closed their airspace, and Syria and Jordan put their air defense systems on alert.
The armed forces of the United States, as well as those of its allies - Great Britain, France and Jordan - participated in the interception of Iranian missiles and drones.
After it became known about the strikes on Israel, mass actions were held in the streets of Iranian cities in support of these actions.
"France has very good technology, planes, radars - and I know they contribute to the patrolling of the airspace," the IDF spokesman said, adding that he did not have accurate information on whether French planes shot down Iranian missiles.
RAF aircraft in the Middle East region "will intercept any air attacks within range as necessary", the UK Ministry of Defense said. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said additional air assets, including fighter jets and refueling planes, had been sent to the region.
The White House's National Security Council said it believed the Iranian strikes on Israel would last several hours. President Joe Biden cut short his vacation and is in the White House monitoring developments. An administration spokeswoman reiterated his position that support for Israel in its standoff with Iran would be unwavering.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called Iran's attack on Israel reckless and stressed that the UK "will continue to protect the security of Israel and all our regional partners".
France also condemned the Iranian strikes on Israel as a threat to regional stability.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned Iran's attack on Israel. He called for an immediate end to hostilities by all sides.
What happened before the impact
Iran has vowed to respond to the attack on its consulate in Damascus on April 1 that killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the influential general Mohammad Reza Zahedi.
Israel has not officially acknowledged its involvement in the strike. However, the fact that it was the Israelis who were behind the attack is beyond anyone's doubt.
Tehran directly accused Israel of responsibility and threatened consequences.
On the night of April 14, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani also issued a warning to third countries - any country that "opens its airspace or territory to attacks against Iran by Israel" will receive a sharp response from Tehran, quoted as saying his semi-official Mehr news agency.
An Iranian strike had been expected for the past few days, and Israeli military forces had been put on high alert. On Sunday - a working day in Israel - classes were canceled in the country.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was prepared for a direct Iranian attack.
"We are ready for any scenario, both defensive and offensive. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The community is strong. We appreciate the fact that the US stands behind Israel, that Britain, France and many other countries support us," Netanyahu said. . /BGNES
