JERUSALEM – The Israeli military said Tuesday that Iran has fired missiles at Israel, and air raid sirens sounded across the country as residents were ordered to stay near air raid shelters.
Israel and the United States have warned that there would be serious consequences if Iran attacks.
Shelter orders were sent to Israelis’ cell phones and announced on national television. Television networks reported sirens in parts of Jerusalem and central Israel.
The alerts sounded after a day of rocket and missile attacks from Lebanon, and as Israel said it had begun limited ground operations in southern Lebanon.
Israeli aircraft and artillery bombed the towns in southern Lebanon, where the evacuation of the population was ordered, and Hezbollah militants responded by launching a barrage of rockets against Israel. There was no immediate news of casualties, as fighting intensified and concerns grew about a broader regional war.
A senior White House official warned of “serious consequences” if Iran launched a ballistic missile at Israel. American ships and planes are stationed in the region to help Israel in case of an Iranian attack. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari also warned of the consequences if Iran fired missiles at Israel.
He urged the population to stay close to protected areas. “The Iranian attack could be widespread. Following the Home Front Command’s guidelines can save lives,” he said.
Iranian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel in April, but few of its projectiles hit their targets. Many were shot down by a US-led coalition, while others apparently failed to launch or crashed in flight.
Although Hezbollah denied that Israeli troops had entered Lebanon, the Israeli army announced that it had also carried out dozens of ground incursions into southern Lebanon for almost a year. Israel released video images purportedly showing its soldiers operating in houses and tunnels where Hezbollah kept weapons.
If true, it would be another humiliating blow for Hezbollah, the most powerful armed group in the Middle East, backed by Iran. Hezbol has been suffering for weeks from the effects of selective attacks that ended the lives of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and several of its senior commanders.
On Tuesday morning, Israel warned the population to evacuate north of the Awali River, about 60 kilometers from the border and much further than the Litani River, which marks the northern limit of an area declared by the UN to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbol after their 2006 war.
The border region has largely emptied over the past year as both sides have exchanged gunfire. But the scope of the evacuation warning raises questions about how deep Israel plans to send its forces into Lebanon.
On Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike hit a residential building near Beirut, causing damage but with no immediate reports of casualties. Apparently, the attack hit an apartment located about 100 meters from the Iranian embassy.
In anticipation of more Hezbollah rocket attacks, the Israeli military announced new restrictions on public gatherings and closed beaches in northern and central Israel. The military also said it was calling up thousands more reserve soldiers to serve on the northern border.
Doubts about the entry of Israeli forces
An Associated Press reporter saw Israeli troops operating near the border in armored trucks, with helicopters hovering overhead, but could not confirm that ground forces had crossed into Lebanon.
Before Israel’s announcement of a raid, U.S. officials said Monday that Israel had described launching small ground incursions into Lebanon as it prepared for a broader operation.
Neither the Lebanese army nor the UN peacekeeping force patrolling southern Lebanon have confirmed the entry of Israeli forces. The UN force said a cross-border operation would be a violation of Lebanese sovereignty.
Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afif rejected what he called “false claims” about an Israeli incursion. He said Hezbol is prepared for “direct confrontation with enemy forces that dare or attempt to enter Lebanon.”
Hagari claimed that troops were carrying out “localized ground raids” against Hezbol positions in southern Lebanon to ensure that Israeli citizens could return to their homes in the north.
“We’re not going to Beirut,” he says.
Israel has said it will continue attacking Hezbol until it is safe for citizens to return. Hezbol has vowed to continue launching rockets into Israel until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
He said Israel had carried out dozens of small incursions inside Lebanon since October 8, when Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel following the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
Hagari claimed that Israeli forces had crossed the border to gather information and destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure, including tunnels and weapons. Israel has claimed that Hezbol was preparing its own attack against Israel, similar to the one on October 7. Those claims could not immediately be confirmed.
The Israeli Army carried out a bloody air attack against the Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut.
An Israeli military official said troops participating in the latest raid were a short distance from the border, centered on villages hundreds of meters (yards) from Israel. The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with military regulations, said there had been no clashes with Hezbollah fighters.
The Israeli army was accused of lying to the media in 2021 when it released a statement implying that ground troops had entered Gaza. The military downplayed the incident as a misunderstanding, but well-informed Israeli military commentators claimed it was part of a ploy to lure Hamas into battle.