Sirens, blasts in Israel as Iran fires waves of missiles

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Air raid sirens sounded and explosions rang out in several areas of Israel on Thursday as Iran launched multiple missiles, the military said, adding that the projectiles had been intercepted.

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Falling shrapnel has wounded seven people since the first missile attack was detected in the morning, according to Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom.

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The military said it had detected seven waves of incoming missiles over the course of the day, triggering sirens in central Israel, Jerusalem, Haifa and some areas of the occupied West Bank.

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“Defence systems are operating to intercept the threat,” it said as it announced each salvo.

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AFP journalists in Tel Aviv reported hearing several blasts from the morning, with the first missile fire detected at 6:49 am (0449 GMT).

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AFP footage showed a residential building in the Tel Aviv area struck by debris from an intercepted missile.

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Images showed damage to an apartment, with metal fragments scattered across the scene.

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Rescue services and medics were deployed to assess the damage.

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Earlier, a spokesperson for Magen David Adom told public radio that several houses were damaged in the central city of Kafr Qassem. Mayor Haitham Taha said the damage was caused by cluster munitions.

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Magen David Adom said six people were wounded in Kafr Qassem and one in Tel Aviv.

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AFP footage showed a large crater at the impact site in Kafr Qassem, as well as several cars overturned by the blast.

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The first morning attack came more than 14 hours after the military last reported incoming missiles from Iran.

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Central Israel also came under fire overnight from Lebanon, after the Iran-backed Hezbollah group said it had targeted military sites in the area. Israeli media reported that six rockets were intercepted.

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In a separate statement, the military said a soldier was killed in fighting in south Lebanon on Thursday.

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Since the war in the Middle East began on February 28, the Israeli military has lost three soldiers in combat in southern Lebanon, where ground operations have expanded.

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