Iranian missile strikes kill at least 10 in Israel
1 of 4 | Israelis look at cars damaged when an Iranian ballistic missile slammed into a residential building in Bat Yam on Sunday. At least seven people were killed and hundreds wounded while rescue workers search for missing under the rubble. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
June 15 (UPI) -- The violent conflict between Iran and Israel entered its third day Sunday, with overnight attacks killing at least 10 people in Israel and wounding at least 385 others.
Israeli emergency services organization Magen David Adom confirmed at least 10 people, including three children, were killed and at least 385 were injured when more than 200 rocket launches were reported overnight and 22 impact sites were identified.
Seven people, including a 10-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl, were killed in strikes targeting a residential building in Bat Yam, a suburb south of Tel Aviv.
Three people were reported dead in strikes the previous night.
"Think of what would happen if Iran had atomic weapons to drop on Israeli cities. Think of what could happen if Iran had 20,000 such missiles," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message from the site of a rocket attack that killed four people.
Israeli military officials said Iran was hit with overnight strikes on 80 targets overnight, with focus on facilities related to the country's nuclear program and fuel deposits near Tehran that support the country's military infrastructure.
Iranian state media reported blasts in several residential areas of Tehran early Sunday afternoon, but no information on the extent of the damage or potential casualties was released.
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The latest escalation follows Israel's Operation Rising Lion, a coordinated military campaign involving over 200 fighter jets targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, drone production centers, oil refineries, intelligence bases, and key civilian airports, including Mashhad International Airport. The operation reportedly killed top commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and several civilians. In retaliation, Iran launched Operation True Promise 3 on June 13, firing ballistic and hypersonic missiles, as well as drones, into Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Significant damage was reported, including destruction at the Haifa oil refinery and civilian neighborhoods. According to The Times of India over 200 Israeli fighter jets were involved in the initial offensive, targeting sites deep within Iran, while Iranian retaliation inflicted heavy psychological and physical tolls on Israel's civilian population. 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South Africa urged maximum restraint by all parties and called for the urgent intensification of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and promote stability in the Middle East. ' We support ongoing bilateral discussions, such as those between the USA and Iran, and reaffirm the critical importance of establishing a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in the Middle East,' it added Kenya: Criticism of Iran, Call for a Functional UN Kenya condemned Iran's retaliatory missile attacks and called for global leadership in defusing the crisis. In a statement on June 13, the country's Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, Korir Sing'oei, expressed concern over the escalation and referenced Kenya's prior support for a UN resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza. ' We are following with deep concern the escalating situation in the Middle East that has the potential to spiral out of control with grievous implications for regional and global peace and security,' Sing'oei said. 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' Genuine security can only be achieved through respect for sovereignty, unity, and the territorial integrity of states,' it further stated. Cairo also reiterated that the resolution of regional crises lies in politics, not warfare. Ghana: Economic Fallout a Growing Concern President John Dramani Mahama warned that Ghana, like many African economies, is not immune to the global economic shocks caused by the conflict. 'Despite the work we have done in stabilizing the economy, Ghana is not immune from the shocks of global events, ' Mahama said. ' The recent exchange of missiles between Israel and Iran has started to escalate crude oil prices dramatically. ' His comments point to the conflict's indirect impact on African livelihoods, especially in energy-importing countries. Tunisia: Full Support for Iran Tunisia, echoing the Arab League, took a strong pro-Iran stance. 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