Israeli civilians entered bomb shelters on Oct. 1, as the Israeli military reported incoming fire missile fire from Iran.
“A short time ago, missiles were launched from Iran towards the State of Israel. You are asked to remain vigilant and follow the Home Front Command’s instructions precisely,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said in a Tuesday evening statement.
Hagari said Israeli air defense capabilities were actively engaging the incoming Iranian munitions, but warned the defense network is not airtight and urged civilians to follow safety advisories from the Israeli military’s Home Front Command.
“You may hear explosions, which could be the result of interceptions or impacts,” he said. “Due to the variety of threats, alarms may be triggered in widespread areas.”
The Israeli military issued the alert just hours after a senior White House official warned Iran was preparing to “imminently” launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel.
“The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel,” the official said in an email to The Epoch Times.
“We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran.”
Israeli forces had reported launching cross-border ground raids into Lebanon in the early morning hours of Tuesday.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the Biden administration is watching the situation between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon “very closely.”
Blinken did not directly address the reported Iranian missile threat during the brief remarks ahead of talks with the visiting foreign minister of Morocco.
“The United States is committed to Israel’s defense,” he said. “We’re watching developments, as I said, very carefully at this moment.”
The Israeli military’s Home Front Command issued new safety advisories on Tuesday, ordering schools near the northern border to remain closed and telling residents to limit their public gatherings. The command said northern Israeli residents could go to their places of work so long as they could quickly reach a bomb shelter.
Israel’s Home Front Command said residents in and around Haifa, and further south into central Israel, could hold slightly larger public gatherings. Educational activities could also proceed in areas close to bomb shelters.
Addressing Israeli citizens on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterized the intensified military actions around the Israel–Lebanon border as a moment of “great achievements and great challenges.”
Netanyahu urged Israelis to closely follow the Home Front Command’s instructions.
“Together we will stand steadfast in the trying days ahead of us,” he said. “Together we will stand. Together we will fight and together we will win.”
Israeli citizens sheltered from a wave of Iranian missiles and drones earlier this year. The Islamic regime ordered the April 13 barrage in response to what it concluded was an Israeli airstrike that struck an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus, Syria, on April 1.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
From The Epoch Times