Iran Launches Missile Barrage; Shrapnel Strikes Jerusalem's Old City

Iran launched multiple missile barrages across Israel on Friday, triggering widespread sirens and causing damage in several regions.

“The Israeli Broadcasting Authority cited sources this evening, Friday, reporting that fragments or explosive heads fell in Tel Aviv shortly after sirens sounded in the Israeli capital and adjacent areas in central Israel following the detection of missiles from Iran”

Al-Jazeera Net

According to Israeli sources, the attacks began with the first barrage west of Jerusalem, followed by multiple additional waves that affected central Israel, the West Bank, and southern areas including the Negev and Dead Sea.

Al-Jazeera Net

Channel 12 reported a total of 13 missile launches from Iran since dawn on Friday, indicating a significant coordinated attack.

The Israeli Fire and Rescue Authority confirmed impacts in multiple locations, with debris falling in the Jerusalem area and central Israel.

Iranian officials framed these actions as part of regional tensions, while Israeli authorities condemned the attacks as violations of sovereignty.

The missile strikes caused significant damage in Jerusalem's Old City, with debris falling near sensitive religious sites.

According to The Jerusalem Post, shrapnel fell on the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, with rescue forces dispatched to the site.

The Jerusalem Post

The IDF confirmed the impact affected an area adjacent to the Temple Mount, where debris fell.

Al-Jazeera reported that fragments of a missile fell near the wall of the Old City in Jerusalem, with Israeli media footage showing a gap in a road near the Jewish and Armenian Quarters.

The Jerusalem police stated they were conducting searches to determine where weapons and ammunition or fragments from intercepted projectiles fell in the Jerusalem area.

Despite the proximity to the holy sites, Magen David Adom reported no immediate injuries from these Jerusalem strikes.

Central Israel experienced significant damage and casualties from the Iranian missile attacks, particularly in the city of Rehovot.

“President Donald Trump weighed in with a sharply worded post on Truth Social, criticizing NATO allies”

ynetglobal

According to The Jerusalem Post, shrapnel fell on a residence in Rehovot during the third wave of attacks, causing a fire on the second floor of the building.

The family living in the residence was successfully evacuated by paramedics, with no major injuries initially reported.

However, an elderly woman was taken to Sheba Medical Center after suffering a head injury while heading to a sheltered area.

Later in the day, another wave caused further damage to another Rehovot apartment, with a woman suffering injuries from falling shrapnel and being transferred to Kaplan Medical Center.

United Hatzalah provided medical treatment to two others for shrapnel-related injuries and several others for panic-related causes.

The Israel Police also reported shrapnel falls in the Judean Foothills, with two people lightly injured in a later wave.

The Iranian missile attacks caused significant infrastructure damage in Haifa, particularly to the Bazan oil refinery complex.

According to Al-Jazeera Net, the Israeli Fire and Rescue Authority stated that firefighting teams have operated since Thursday night to extinguish a fire that broke out as a result of fragments falling on a container storage facility at Shimon Beach in Haifa after interception of an Iranian missile.

Ynetnews

The fire damaged no fewer than 15 containers.

The Bazan company, which operates Haifa's refineries, stated that repairing the damage caused by Thursday's Iranian attack will take days.

Israeli media reported that one of the missile strikes included precise hits on the company's complex in Haifa Bay, causing damage to electrical infrastructure that feeds the service facility.

The attack reportedly caused widespread fires and disruptions to the power grid, prompting the Fire and Rescue Authority to deploy 15 teams to extinguish the fires.

Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman announced that controlled explosions would be carried out around the Haifa area over the weekend to destroy shrapnel and other munitions.

The missile attacks occurred amid heightened tensions in Jerusalem, particularly regarding access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

“The Israeli Broadcasting Authority cited sources this evening, Friday, reporting that fragments or explosive heads fell in Tel Aviv shortly after sirens sounded in the Israeli capital and adjacent areas in central Israel following the detection of missiles from Iran”

Al-Jazeera Net

According to ynetglobal, just hours before the strike near the Temple Mount, Israel kept the Al-Aqsa compound closed to worshippers during Eid al-Fitr, marking the first such closure for the holiday since 1967.

Al-Jazeera Net

International media highlighted the unprecedented move, noting that tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers are typically allowed access to the site during the holiday marking the end of Ramadan.

The closure, imposed under Home Front Command restrictions banning large gatherings amid the war, drew criticism across the Arab and Muslim world, with officials calling it a violation of the longstanding status quo at the holy site.

On Friday morning, worshippers gathered outside the Old City walls to pray, with some attempting to approach the Muslim Quarter.

Clashes were reported as police pushed crowds back and used tear gas in at least two instances.

One Jerusalem resident told The Guardian it was 'the saddest day' for Muslims in the city, warning the move could set 'a dangerous precedent.'