Israel intercepts Iranian missiles after Trump address

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Israel’s military said air defences responded to waves of Iranian missile fire early Thursday, including at least two attacks after US President Donald Trump delivered an address to the American public about the war.

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After the first attack, police said officers were called to “several” impact sites in central Israel, with media reports putting the number at nine.

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Four people were lightly wounded in the Tel Aviv area, the reports said, citing medics.

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Israeli media attributed the damage across a relatively wide area to the use of cluster munitions, which explode mid-air and scatter bomblets.

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Iran and Israel have previously accused each other of using cluster bombs.

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Within about six hours of the first attack, the military announced it had again “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel” three more times, triggering air raid sirens across much of northern and central Israel.

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The military’s Home Front Command later said residents were “permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas of the country”.

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There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage as a result of the later attacks.

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On Wednesday, as Jewish Israelis were preparing to celebrate the Passover holiday, emergency services said Iranian missile fire wounded 14 people, including an 11-year-old girl.

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In northern Israel, there were also air raid sirens early Thursday warning of incoming attacks from Lebanon, according to the Home Front Command.

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Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, an Iran ally which joined the war on March 2, claimed rocket fire targeting Israeli troops in border areas and a drone attack on a village.

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AFP

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