Israel assess damage from Iran’s missile barrage

livemint.com:

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TEL AVIV—Israel was reviewing the damage Wednesday from roughly 180 missiles fired a day earlier by Iran, some of which hit the country’s densely populated center and a few military bases, an aerial attack that has escalated a yearlong conflict in the Middle East. Israel said its air defenses intercepted most of the missiles alongside a coalition of U.S.-led allies, including the U.K, but a number of projectiles successfully penetrated the country’s vaunted aerial defense system.

A missile hit a road outside the headquarters of Israel’s foreign intelligence service, Mossad, near Tel Aviv, an additional projectile exploded near a school in a town in central Israel, causing extensive damage to the building and a large crater outside, according to videos online and statements by the Israeli military. A missile blast damaged roughly 100 houses in Hod Hasharon, a town north of Tel Aviv, the municipality said. “This was a very powerful impact with a huge risk of claiming human lives," the municipality said.

Iran also targeted several Israeli military bases in the attack, hitting the Nevatim base in the Negev Desert, causing minor damage, according to U.S. officials. Videos online showed dozens of missiles raining down near the base, with some visibly exploding.

Israel’s military declined to comment Wednesday on the damage to the Nevatim air base and other locations, arguing they didn’t want to give information to Iran that would help it understand the effectiveness of its barrage. The military said its air force is fully operational and ready to launch counter strikes against Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would respond to Iran’s attack, calling it “a big