JERUSALEM, Israel – Iran launched a major ballistic missile barrage at Israel on Tuesday. CBN News witnessed explosions in the sky as Israel attempted to intercept approximately 180+ incoming missiles.
Air raid sirens sounded across Israel and residents were sheltering in place or within bomb shelters. A series of window-shaking explosions were reported in Tel Aviv and near Jerusalem.
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The following videos indicate not all the missiles were stopped with some hitting targets in Israel:
Listen to the booms.
This is Israel right now. pic.twitter.com/DKl6HfWjvz
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) October 1, 2024
The escalation comes after the Israel Defense Forces' long-anticipated ground incursion into southern Lebanon began Monday night.
Israel began its ground assault overnight, aiming to rid southern Lebanon of the Hezbollah terror threat and allow more than 60,000 Israeli residents of northern Israel to return to their homes after nearly a year of daily rocket attacks.
IDF troops packed up and headed into southern Lebanon, launching localized and limited raids against Hezbollah terror targets that present the most imminent threat to nearby Israeli communities.
Explosions lit up the night sky as the soldiers attacked.
IDF Chief Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announced, "Hezbollah turned Lebanese villages next to Israeli villages into military bases already for an attack on Israel. Hezbollah had planned to use those villages as a staging ground for an October 7th invasion into Israeli homes.”
Hagari explained why Israel invaded.
“If the state of Lebanon and the world can’t push Hezbollah away from our border, we have no choice but to do it ourselves," Hagari declared. "I want to make it clear our war is with Hezbollah, not the people of Lebanon.”
A larger invasion is planned, according to a report in The Washington Post. At the same time, Israeli jets kept up bombing runs in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, where Hezbollah is headquartered. The Israeli Air Force also hit Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon.
After the invasion, President Joe Biden remarked, "We should have a ceasefire now."
The State Department is working for a ceasefire, but Spokesman Matthew Miiller acknowledged Hezbollah is to blame for the war and that Israel has a right to end it decisively.
"It was Hezbollah on the day after October 7th that started launching rocket attacks across the border that had not stopped until this day. And Israel has a right to defend itself against those attacks," Miller stated.
So far, Iran is not coming to the aid of its top proxy in the region.
Jared Kushner, former President Trump's son-in-law and the point-man for the Abraham Accords, posted on X, "This is significant because Iran is now fully exposed. The reason why their nuclear facilities have not been destroyed, despite weak air defense systems, is because Hezbollah has been a loaded gun pointed at Israel."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a message directly to the Iranian people on Monday, promising, "When Iran is finally free – and that moment will come a lot sooner than people think – everything will be different. Our two ancient peoples, the Jewish people, and the Persian people, will finally be at peace."
Netanyahu added, "Iran will thrive as never before – global investment, massive tourism, brilliant technological innovation based on the tremendous talents that exist inside Iran. Doesn't that sound better than endless poverty, repression, and war? Don't let a small group of fanatic theocrats crush your hopes and your dreams."
Iranian-born Israel resident Ramin Parsa told CBN News most Iranians detest the regime.
"I can tell you with certainty that 95% of the people in Iran, they don't want the Islamic regime," Parsa said. "The regime basically has no support from within, from the people.”
Parsa continued, "If you remember, on April 13th, when the regime attacked Israel, the first thing that the regime did, they put anti-riot forces on the streets because they were more afraid of the people rising up than even Israel attacking back. So that's why they were so scared."
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