In the early hours of Monday morning, Iranian missiles struck Israel’s Tel Aviv area and the northern port city of Haifa, killing at least eight people and damaging residential buildings as well as a power plant.
Targets
This assault was one of Iran’s largest since Israel’s initial strikes on Iranian nuclear and missile facilities late last week. Since Friday, Iran has launched successive missile barrages on Israel. On Sunday night, a barrage of dozens of missiles struck central Israel, killing 10 people, wounding more than 100 others, and damaging buildings in Rishon LeZion, Tel Aviv and Haifa, while the northern Negev also came under fire.
Thus far, Iranian strikes have hit the following cities and towns in Israel:
- Tel Aviv
- Haifa
- Rishon LeZion
- Bat Yam
- Rehovot
- Tamra
- Ramat Gam
- Kiryat Gat
- Kiryat Ekron
- Petah Tikva
- Bnei Barak
A focal point of Iran’s assault has been the central Israeli area of Gush Dan — home to over 4 million people — which includes Tel Aviv and critical infrastructure such as the Kirya military headquarters and Ben Gurion International Airport. Several missiles launched from Iran have broken through Israel’s air defenses in the area, causing civilian casualties and extensive structural damage.
On Monday, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that the US Embassy branch in Tel Aviv saw "minor damage" from an Iranian missile, adding that there were no injuries to US personnel.
Amid Iran's retaliation on Friday, the Ben Gurion airport — Israel's largest airport — closed, leaving more than 100,000 Israelis stuck abroad. The Israeli Transportation Ministry said today it was enacting a plan enabling Israeli carriers to operate flights to bring Israelis home.
Meanwhile, damage was reportedly caused to a power plant in Haifa and in central Israel by Iran's attack. Overnight on Sunday, another Iranian missile strike hit Haifa's Bazan oil refinery, causing damage to pipelines and transmission lines and killing three workers there, Israeli media reported late Monday.
A missile strike on an apartment building in Bat Yam saw the highest number of casualties overnight from Saturday to Sunday, killing at least nine people.
Though less damaged, Israel's south has faced repeated missile and drone threats.
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