Israel comes under attack one year on from October 7 massacre

Air raid sirens are ringing out in Tel Aviv as Israel comes under another attack from Hezbollah. Videos on social media show the sirens ringing out around the city as reporters at the scene report multiple explosions in the sky as missiles were intercepted.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said approximately five projectiles launched from Lebanon were identified to be crossing into their territory, but they were shot down by the IAF (Israel Air Force) and the rest fell in open areas. The IDF released a map of the locations where sirens were going off on social media and said: ‘Following the sirens that sounded in central Israel, several projectile launches were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory. Details are under review.’ It comes after Israel launched further strikes in the past hour on Hezbollah’s ‘intelligence headquarters’ in Beirut, Lebanon.

Following the attack on Israel, Hezbollah issued a statement saying it targeted a military base on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. The Israeli ambulance service said it has not received any reports of injuries from the attack. The IDF posted a video of the attack on social media, with the statement: ‘Tomorrow marks a year since Hezbollah dragged the region into a multi-front war and began their constant attacks on Israeli civilians. Less than an hour until October 8, Hezbollah launched a number of projectiles toward central Israel.’

The fresh salvos come after ceremonies and events are happening across Israel and in cities around the world to mark the anniversary of the unprecedented attack by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip, which claimed more than 1,200 lives. But due to the risk of further strikes from Hezbollah, mass gatherings to commemorate October 7 had been restricted. Nevertheless, earlier this evening hundreds of people have gathered in Tel Aviv for the main memorial ceremony commemorating the victims of the terror attack.

A moment of silence was held at a memorial event at Yarkon Park, which has been organised by the families of the victims of the attack. The Times of Israel reported that just 2,000 people will be able to attend the memorial following restrictions imposed on large gatherings by the IDF. Earlier today Israel was forced to fend off rocket attacks from its foes in the north and south of the country.

A rocket fired by Hezbollah across Israel’s northern border slammed into the city of Haifa south of Tel Aviv overnight, with security footage showing the moment the projectile erupted in a ferocious explosion in a quiet residential street. Hours later, more rockets soared over Israel’s southern border and impacted targets in Tel Aviv and elsewhere as Hamas sought to wreak havoc a year on from one of the darkest days in Jewish history since the Holocaust.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog began the day with a minute of silence at 6:29am – the moment Hamas’ cross-border insurgency started – at the site of the Nova music festival near Re’im where heavily armed Hamas fighters killed at least 370 people. But minutes later the service was marred by air raid sirens as Hamas declared it launched projectiles at the ‘enemy gatherings’ just a few kilometres from the border with Gaza, as well as at Tel Aviv. Images emerged later this morning showed civilians and rescue workers inspecting damage to various buildings caused by rockets or falling shrapnel, while videos showed smoke trailing from craters near Israel’s cultural and commercial capital.

The Israeli army said several Hamas rockets were downed by air defence systems, adding that it had foiled what would have been a much larger attack after it ‘struck Hamas launch posts and underground terrorist infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip’. The IDF meanwhile released never-before-seen footage from October 7, showing Israeli soldiers fighting Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Re’im on the morning of the onslaught in a reminder of the brutality of the unexpected attacks.

Last year’s shocking insurgency into Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to tallies based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity. Since then, at least 41,870 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip according to data provided by the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The UN has acknowledged these figures as reliable. The first anniversary of Hamas’ atrocity comes with Israel still fighting in Gaza and engaged in a fresh war to the north in Lebanon against Hamas ally Hezbollah.

It is also preparing its retaliation against Tehran over an Iranian missile attack last week, raising fears of an even wider conflict. On a visit to the border with Lebanon this morning to speak with IDF troops engaged in the conflict to the north, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: ‘A year ago, we suffered a terrible blow. But over the past 12 months, we have completely transformed reality,’ he concluded, vowing to achieve victory over Hamas and Hezbollah.

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