Tensions Escalate: New Wave of Iranian Attacks on Israel Claims Lives and Injures Many
Israel awoke on Sunday to harrowing news following two waves of attacks launched by Iran, leaving at least eight people dead and over 150 injured. These bombings marked the deadliest incidents in Israel since the recent surge in hostilities, which escalated last Thursday with offensive actions from the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Iranian targets.
The fifth wave of attacks struck on Saturday night, focusing particularly on the northern city of Tamra, near Haifa. Reports confirm that four members of a single family—a 13-year-old girl, her 20-year-old sister, and two women in their 40s—lost their lives. Emergency services worked diligently to rescue several individuals trapped under the rubble, with varying degrees of injuries at the attack sites.
The situation escalated further with the sixth wave of attacks occurring in the early hours of Sunday, impacting two locations: Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, and Sefelá, west of Jerusalem. According to Magen David Adom (MDA), emergency services reported four additional fatalities in Bat Yam, including two elderly women and two children around the age of ten. In addition to these tragic losses, over 100 individuals sustained injuries, with at least four in serious condition and seven in moderate condition. The search for victims continued, particularly under the debris of an eight-story building that had suffered severe damage.
In Sefelá, the MDA reported treating a mix of injuries—two serious, 12 moderate, and 23 minor, totaling 37 affected individuals in that area alone. Overall, assessments of the chaos during the night between Saturday and Sunday indicate at least eight fatalities and more than 150 people injured, though some sources, including Channel 12 and The Times of Israel, estimate that the number of injuries may be closer to 200.
In response to these Iranian assaults, Israel retaliated with airstrikes targeting key Iranian sites. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported attacks on the Iranian Ministry of Defense, the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), and various targets associated with Iran's nuclear weapons development program. Iranian media outlets, including Press TV and the Tasnim news agency, referenced a blaze at the Shahran refinery facilities near Tehran, possibly a result of the Israeli airstrikes.
Since the onset of this offensive against Iran last Thursday, reports indicate that over 100 individuals have died in Iran, including members of the Iranian military and scientists involved in critical uranium enrichment efforts.
Compounding the toll, Israel recorded three additional fatalities due to earlier incidents in Tel Aviv, raising the total number of Israeli deaths from this conflict to 11. The ongoing violence underscores the severity and volatility of the situation as both nations engage in escalating military actions. As the dust settles and searches for victims continue, the full extent of the devastation from the recent bombings is still unfolding.
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