The Israeli military on Tuesday said that Iran has fired missiles at Israel, and air raid sirens sounded across the country as residents were ordered to remain close to bomb shelters.
Israeli police reported a suspected “terror” shooting on Tuesday in Jaffa in south Tel Aviv, resulting in multiple casualties. Israel said both the gunmen were killed.
The police said four people were killed, and seven others sustained injuries in the attack. The shooting took place at Jerusalem Street, next to a light rail train station, as per The Times of Israel.
Israel’s MDA ambulance service said it received a report at 7.01 pm (9.31 pm IST) of people injured by gunfire.
Medics and paramedics provided on-site medical treatment to a number of wounded people with varying degrees of injuries, including some who were unconscious, MDA was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Videos showed two terrorists armed with rifles exiting the rail before they opened fire. Civilians were seen lying flat on the ground to protect themselves.
Meanwhile, sirens were sound across Israel on Tuesday night in anticipation of a missile attack from Iran. Israel Defense Forces said, “Israelis have instructed to remain alert and precisely follow the Home Front Command’s instructions.”
Israel and the United States have warned there would be severe consequences if Iran attacks.
The orders to shelter in place were sent to Israelis’ mobile phones and announced on national television. TV stations reported sirens in parts of Jerusalem as well as central Israel.
The alerts were sounded after a day of rocket and missile attacks from Lebanon, and as Israel said it had begun limited ground operations in southern Lebanon.
Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire pounded southern Lebanese villages where people were ordered to evacuate, and Hezbollah militants responded by firing a barrage of rockets into Israel.
There was no immediate word on casualties as fighting intensified and concerns of a wider regional war grew.
A senior White House official warned of “severe consequences” should Iran launch a ballistic missile against Israel.
U.S. ships and aircraft are positioned in the region to assist Israel in the event of an attack from Iran. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari also warned of consequences if Iran fired missiles into Israel.?
He urged the public to stay close to sheltered areas. “The Iranian strike could be widespread. Following Home Front Command guidelines can save lives,” he said.
Iranian officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel in April, but few of its projectiles reached their targets. Many were shot down by a U.S.-led coalition, while others apparently failed at launch or crashed in flight.
On Tuesday morning, Israel warned people to evacuate to the north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (36 miles) from the border and much farther than the Litani River, which marks the northern edge of a U.N.-declared zone intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after their 2006 war.
The border region has largely emptied out over the past year as the two sides have traded fire. But the scope of the evacuation warning raised questions as to how deep Israel plans to send its forces into Lebanon.
