By Gloria Nosa
Tension escalated in the Middle East on Sunday as explosions echoed across Jerusalem following a fresh wave of missile alerts linked to Iran.
According to reports from journalists on the ground, air raid sirens wailed across the city shortly after the Israeli military warned that missiles had been fired from Iran toward Israeli territory. The alerts triggered panic among residents as defence systems were activated in response to the incoming threat.
In an initial update, Israel’s emergency response agency, Magen David Adom, stated that there were no immediate reports of injuries after the first round of sirens.
However, the Israeli military later confirmed that security and rescue teams had been deployed to several impact locations in central parts of the country. Local media footage showed minor structural damage along a roadway in Holon, a city situated near Tel Aviv.
The latest developments come on the heels of a previous strike on Saturday evening, when Iranian missiles reportedly hit communities in southern Israel. Medical officials at Soroka Medical Center confirmed they treated 175 injured individuals, with at least 10 people in critical condition, including a child.
In the towns of Dimona and Arad, the impact caused significant destruction. Residential buildings were heavily damaged, and large craters were left at the strike sites.
Iranian state media claimed the attack on Dimona — home to a sensitive nuclear facility — was carried out in retaliation for an earlier strike on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility.
Meanwhile, Israeli defence authorities disclosed that an investigation is underway to determine how the country’s air defence systems failed to intercept some of the incoming missiles.
The situation remains volatile, with fears of further escalation growing across the region.
