Israel was rocked Friday by a fresh barrage of ballistic missiles launched from Iran, triggering a rare nationwide alert and sending millions of civilians scrambling to bomb shelters across the country.

The IDF confirmed that approximately 25 ballistic missiles were fired from Iranian territory in the latest attack. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel—including in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beersheva—as air defense systems engaged incoming threats. Loud explosions were reported in multiple regions, including the south, center, and north of the country.

The Home Front Command issued a rare directive instructing civilians across the nation to seek shelter and remain indoors. After the attack subsided, it later announced that citizens could safely exit bomb shelters.

While southern and central Israel reported no injuries, Haifa bore the brunt of the assault. According to Magen David Adom (MDA), 17 people were wounded in the northern port city, including a 16-year-old boy and a man in his 40s who were seriously injured by shrapnel. A 54-year-old was moderately wounded, and 14 others sustained light injuries. All were transported to local hospitals for treatment.

Medics and emergency responders rushed to impact sites across the country, with confirmed fragment damage reported in Beersheba and several central cities. It remains unclear whether Iran used a cluster bomb warhead—a device designed to disperse smaller munitions over a wide area—in the attack.

The IDF continues to assess the extent of the damage and monitor for additional threats.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)