Iran has fired over 100 drones and missiles at Israel in a retaliatory attack for an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus earlier this month.
BBC Middle East correspondent in Jerusalem, Hugo Bachega, said loud explosions were heard with the air defence systems shooting down objects over the city as the multiple interceptions lit up the night sky.
Israel had said the attack could take some hours to arrive, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country is “ready for any scenario.”
Iran had warned that Israel would be “punished” for a strike on its consulate in Syria on 1 April. Seven Revolutionary Guards, including two generals, and six Syrians were killed in the Damascus attack.
Israel had acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes in recent years on targets in Syria that it said were linked to Iran but had not claimed the Damascus strike.
President Biden has promised what he called “ironclad” support for Israel, saying the US would “do all we can to protect Israel’s security.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed in a statement that drones had been launched from Iran towards Israel.
It said “A short while ago, Iran launched UAVs from within its territory toward Israel. The IDF is on high alert and is constantly monitoring the operational situation.
“The IDF Aerial Defense Array is on high alert, along with IAF fighter jets and Israeli Navy vessels that are on a defense mission in Israeli air and naval space. The IDF is monitoring all targets.
“We ask the public to adhere to and follow the instructions of the Home Front Command and the official IDF announcements regarding the matter.”
In an address to the nation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military is “ready for any scenario”.
“Citizens of Israel, in recent years, and especially in recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for a direct attack by Iran. Our defensive systems are deployed; we are ready for any scenario, both defensively and offensively. The State of Israel is strong. The IDF is strong. The public is strong,” he said.
According to Netanyahu, “We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination.”
A former Israel Defense Forces spokesman, Jonathan Conricus, says “this is day one of the new Middle East – for the first time Iran is attacking Israel directly from sovereign Iranian soil”.
Speaking on the BBC News Channel, he cited reports of more than 100 Iranian drones and cruise missiles heading to Israel, “with different expected times of arrival.”
He said “Israeli air defences are busy taking out these threats.”
When asked if Israel had planned for this, he said: “I think Israel is good at planning military contingencies, but they don’t always excel at the strategic part. I didn’t expect the Iranians to do this, from Iranian soil. It will drag other countries, including the US, into the conflict.”
