Iran says missile strikes on Israel will continue 'as long as needed'
A top adviser to the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that Tehran will keep up its missile strikes on Israel for as long as it deems necessary.
Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi told state television that the latest operation targeted 150 sites across Israel and was executed in several waves.
'Based on our assessment of the situation, this operation will continue as long as needed,' he said.
'The Israelis now realise they miscalculated and should expect consequences — this is only the beginning.'
Iran said the missiles, launched less than 24 hours after it was struck, hit military installations and caused extensive damage.
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Middle East Eye
an hour ago
- Middle East Eye
Iranian strikes expose lack of shelters for Palestinian citizens of Israel, residents say
Palestinian citizens of Israel are having to fend for themselves amid ongoing missile strikes by Iran, with the beleaguered community lacking access to shelters and safe rooms due to discriminatory building policies. On Saturday, four Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed in the predominantly Arab town of Tamra, some 25km east of Haifa, after an Iranian missile unexpectedly struck their residential building. Local residents told Middle East Eye that four Christian women from the same family were killed in the attack, including a mother and her two daughters, aged 13 and 20. Residents said that when the Israeli government instructed Israelis to stay in protected areas as missile alerts sounded, Palestinians in Tamra decided to shelter in place - or they sought safety in groups at the homes of other family members - due to the absence of public shelters and safe rooms. "Most homes in Tamra, and those in predominantly Arab towns, lack shelters," Muhammed Soboh, a Tamra resident, told MEE. "I live in the neighbourhood where the rockets fell," he said. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "There is not a single house that has not been gripped by panic and fear, whether since the beginning of the war on Gaza or the beginning of this war. Israelis cheer as Iranian missile strikes Palestinian town in country's north Read More » "There is a state of hysteria, and children are the most vulnerable because of the sounds, sights, and images we've seen." Before Saturday's strikes, Tamra's residents had repeatedly complained of the lack of bomb shelters in the area, noting that almost no homes were equipped with a safe room - despite such facilities being mandatory in all new properties built after 1991. Other residents told MEE that despite the town being home to more than 35,000 people, there were no public shelters either. Meanwhile, according to reports, the nearby settlement of Mitzpe Aviv boast at least 13 public shelters for its 1,100 residents. "Arab homes and residents are directly exposed to danger from the fall of anti-aircraft missiles," Soboh said. "Ending the war is the only way to end this situation," he added. Decades of discrimination Since the state of Israel was established in 1948, Palestinian citizens of Israel have complained of systemic discrimination, including chronic underinvestment, in their communities. Decades of discrimination in land and housing policies have left most Palestinian citizens of Israel living in densely populated cities and villages, leading to what Israel sees as illegal construction. Building work in these areas usually fails to meet required standards and almost never includes shelters. Since Friday, when Israel and Iran began trading fire, Israelis have been grappling with the damage caused by Iranian missile strikes in several cities, including Haifa, Tel Aviv and Bat Yam. According to data shared by the Israeli prime minister's office, missiles have broken through Israel's air defense system and struck some 22 locations across Israel. Israel: Euphoria gives way to fear after Iranian missiles rain down on Tel Aviv Read More » Media restrictions have made it increasingly difficult to assess the full damage from the strikes as Israeli news outlets largely comply with the rules set out by the Israeli military. In the wake of these attacks, Israelis have largely banded together in several parts of the country. But in the nearby settlement of Mitzpe Aviv, Israelis appeared to have welcomed the missile strike on Tamra. "On the village, on the village," an Israeli settler could be heard saying in a video documenting the strike, whilst women sang the anti-Arab song "May your village burn." "These people enter Tamra and live close to it," Soboh said referring to Mitzpe Aviv's residents. "Such videos are a sign of the loss of humanity and sanity in Israeli society,' Soboh added. Doa'a Hamadi, a Tamra resident and first responder still reeling from the attack, lamented the way wider Israeli society was reacting to the video. "We die and see body parts, while a number of Jewish citizens dance in our pain," Hamadi said. "If this video had been filmed by an Arab citizen, he would have been arrested immediately." Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has said dozens of Palestinian citizens of Israel have been arrested on the spurious charge of expressing support for the Islamic Republic. Despite appeals from several Palestinian citizens of Israel, it remains unclear whether any Israelis have been arrested over the celebratory video.
Middle East Eye
6 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Israelis cheer as Iranian missile strikes Arab town in country's north
A group of Israelis celebrated an Iranian missile strike on a predominantly Arab town in the country's north, which killed four Palestinian citizens of Israel and injured dozens of others. In a video which has since gone viral on Israeli social media accounts, the group of Israelis could be heard cheering as a missile appeared to fall on Tamra, a predominantly Christian and Muslim town some 25km from Haifa. "On the village, on the village!" a man could be heard shouting as the missile appeared to slam into Tamra. שישרף לכם הכפר, כך צהלו בני משפחה יהודית כשראו שהטילים האיראנים נופלים על העיר טמרה. בושה וחרפה. — Jafar Farah (@Jafarfarah1) June 14, 2025 He and the others, which included female Israelis, then broke into singing the anti-Arab song "may your village burn" - popularised by the Israeli pop singer Kobi Peretz - as others began clapping and cheering as other missiles rained down. Residents told Middle East Eye that four Christian women from the same family were killed in Saturday's attack, including a mother and her two daughters, aged 13 and 20. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The missile caused severe damage to their home, nearly collapsing the three- to four-story building. Within hours of the attack, Yinon Magal, a presenter on Israel's Channel 14, a right-wing network favoured by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appeared to downplay the deaths, claiming that the majority of Tamra's residents "are against Israel." Ayman Odeh, the head of the Hadash movement, said the comments were unsurprising given the repeated anti-Palestinian rhetoric espoused by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his cabinet. Israel: Euphoria gives way to fear after Iranian missiles rain down on Tel Aviv Read More » "These are the voices of Netanyahu, [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben Gvir and [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich, the warmongers and everyone who supports them," he said, adding that "these racists should be investigated and arrested." Meanwhile, Ahmad Tibi, the chairman of the Ta'al party and a Palestinians member of Israel's Knesset, said the the video and subsequent anti-Palestinian rhetoric were a "result of a culture of racism that has spread in Israeli society and of growing fascism." "There is a racist police minister [Ben Gvir] who encourages hatred of Arabs. There are also media figures who spread racism." Palestinian citizens of Israel have historically faced systemic discrimination, including chronic underinvestment in their communities and - according to Adalah, a human rights and legal centre for Palestinian citizens of Israel - dozens of laws are prejudiced against them. Before Saturday's strikes, residents of Tamra had long warned that there was a dearth of bomb shelters in the area, and that almost no homes had a safe room attached, despite it being mandated for all new properties built after 1991. On Friday, Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran, killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists, and striking military bases, nuclear sites and residential areas across the country. Iran has since unleashed a deadly barrage of missile strikes on Israel, killing at least 10 Israelis and injuring hundreds.
Middle East Eye
8 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Several trapped under rubble in central Israel: Haaretz
Several Israelis remain trapped under the rubble of a building in central Israel that was hit during Iran's overnight missile attack, Haaretz reported, quoting an unnamed source from Israel's Home Front Command. The report stated that rescue teams, comprising personnel from the Home Front Command and special army units, are working to rescue those trapped. Haaretz added that there is a risk that the damaged building could collapse. According to the Israeli army, it is estimated that it will take at least a day to complete searches in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv. The area was struck during the Iranian missile barrage, which killed at least six people, injured hundreds, and left many missing.
