23 injured after Iranian missiles strike three areas in Israel including Tel Aviv
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Rescuers working at a site in Tel Aviv that was hit by a missile attack from Iran on June 22.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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JERUSALEM – Three areas of Israel, including coastal hub Tel Aviv, were hit on the morning of June 22 during waves of Iranian missile attacks, with at least 23 people injured, according to rescue services and the police.
Several buildings were heavily damaged in the Ramat Aviv area in Tel Aviv, with holes torn in the facades of apartment blocks.
“Houses here were hit very, very badly,” Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai told reporters at the scene. “Fortunately, one of them was slated for demolition and reconstruction, so there were no residents inside.
“Those who were in the shelter are all safe and well. The damage is very, very extensive, but in terms of human life, we are okay.”
Israeli police said in a statement that they had been deployed to at least two other impact sites – one in Haifa in the north and another in Ness Ziona, south of Tel Aviv.
A public square in a residential area of Haifa was left strewn with rubble, and surrounding shops and homes were heavily damaged, AFP news agency photos showed.
Mr Eli Bin, the head of Israeli rescue service Magen David Adom, told reporters that a total of 23 people have been wounded nationwide in the attacks, with “two in moderate condition and the rest lightly injured”.
Two waves of missiles were launched at Israel from around 7.30am (12.30pm Singapore time), the Israeli military said.
Sirens rang across the country, with air defences activated shortly afterwards, as loud explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Israeli police reported “the fall of weapon fragments” in a northern area encompassing the port of Haifa, where the local authorities said emergency services were heading to an “accident site”.
Reporting on missile strikes is subject to strict military censorship rules in Israel, but at least 50 impacts have been officially acknowledged nationwide, and 25 people have been killed since the war began with Iran on June 13, according to official figures.
Tel Aviv, the southern city of Beersheba and the northern port of Haifa have been the three areas most frequently targeted by Iran.
Israel’s sophisticated air defences have intercepted more than 450 missiles, along with around 1,000 drones, according to the latest figures from the Israeli military. AFP
