Iran's strikes on Israel injure over 100, Netanyahu calls it 'very difficult evening'

Iranian missile strikes on two southern Israeli towns wounded more than 100 people, after Israeli air defence systems failed to intercept the projectiles, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it a "very difficult evening."

The two direct hits tore open the fronts of residential buildings and carved craters into the ground.

Magen David Adom first responders said 84 people were wounded in the town of Arad, 10 of them seriously, hours after 33 were wounded in nearby Dimona.

Iranian state TV said the missile attack on Dimona, which houses a nuclear facility, was a "response" to an earlier strike on its own nuclear site at Natanz.

Fire engines with their lights flashing were at the scene along with dozens of members of the emergency services.

Netanyahu said Israel will continue striking Iran after what he called a "very difficult evening."

"This is a very difficult evening in the battle for our future," Netanyahu said in a statement. "We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts".

'Extensive damage'

Firefighters said that in "both Dimona and Arad, interceptors were launched that failed to hit the threats, resulting in two direct hits by ballistic missiles with warheads weighing hundreds of kilograms".

The Israeli military said it would investigate the issue.

"The air defence systems operated but did not intercept the missile, we will investigate the incident and learn from it," military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin wrote on X.

The local fire service said there was "extensive damage" in Arad, with three buildings affected and a blaze sparked in one of them.

The military's Home Front Command ordered schools in the area to move classes online.

Medic Riyad Abu Ajaj described "extensive destruction" at the site of the strike, in a statement from the organisation.

"There was a lot of chaos at the scene," he said.