Iran unleashed a barrage of over 150 ballistic missiles and more than 100 drones on Israel Friday night, killing at least three people and injuring dozens in a devastating retaliation for Israel’s airstrikes on its nuclear facilities and top military commanders. The assault, codenamed "Operation True Promise III" by Iran, targeted military sites and airbases, with several missiles striking civilian areas in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Rishon Lezion, causing widespread destruction.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported intercepting most of the incoming projectiles using the Arrow 3 and David’s Sling systems, with support from U.S. forces. Despite this, some missiles penetrated defenses, hitting residential neighborhoods. Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency service, reported 63 injuries, including one critical case that later proved fatal, one serious, eight mild, and the rest light. Among the dead were Yisrael Aloni, 73, and Etti Cohen Engel, killed in separate strikes in Rishon Lezion and Ramat Gan. A three-month-old baby was rescued from rubble in Rishon Lezion, suffering minor injuries.
“I pulled her into my arms amid complete destruction,” said Fire and Rescue Service Captain Idan Chen, describing the chaotic scene in Rishon Lezion, where 19 were wounded. In Tel Aviv, resident Tali Horesh recounted her family’s two-hour ordeal trapped in a safe room as their high-rise filled with smoke. “The whole building teetered,” she told Israeli media.
