Israel Kills Iran-Linked Militant, Strikes Iran Amid Major Escalation

In a post on X, the Israeli defence forces on Sunday said, "ELIMINATED: Muhammad Majed Abd al-Salam Tawfiq Zidan, a Palestinian terrorist directed by the Iranian regime's intelligence."

The post added, "Zidan served as a key Palestinian terrorist who operated under the intelligence of the Iranian terror regime and attempted to advance terror attacks within Israel."

Earlier, the Israeli military announced that "a short while ago" its forces initiated "a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in western Iran", marking a major escalation in the regional conflict.

According to Al Jazeera, this offensive coincides with a sharp rise in medical emergencies, with Israel's Health Ministry reporting that 108 people were admitted to hospitals in the last 24 hours alone.

The ministry noted it does not currently "provide a breakdown of the causes of injuries". However, The Times of Israel suggested that many of these "might have been sustained by people trying to reach shelter" during sirens, rather than from direct fire.

This adds to a staggering toll since the war began on 28 February, with the ministry stating on X that "until this morning, 3,195 people have been admitted to hospitals", with "81 of whom are currently hospitalised".

In response to these persistent threats, Israeli air defences successfully neutralised two separate waves of missiles aimed at southern regions within the last hour.

Reports from Al Jazeera, citing Ynet News, confirmed these interceptions prevented harm to populated areas, while the Home Front Command noted no casualties from these specific incidents.

Simultaneously, sirens were activated across central Israel due to a projectile launched from Lebanon, which was also intercepted.

This followed earlier reports of "loud explosions" in the central region after a missile strike from Iran. Al Jazeera, quoting Channel 12, reported that falling debris was seen in central areas, where the ambulance service treated four people injured while rushing to shelters.

Despite the Home Front Command initially declaring the central incident over, the situation remains fluid. Authorities recently detected further rocket and missile fire targeting the south, prompting an urgent directive for residents to take shelter immediately.

This surge in aerial activity follows a high-profile Israeli Air Force (IAF) operation in Tehran that killed two senior Iranian intelligence officials.

- ANI