Hamas brands Iran's missile attack on Israel as 'heroic' in bold statement

The Palestinian group Hamas has tonight called Iran's missile attack on Israel "heroic".

The group said it "congratulates" the rocket launches carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran today, of which there were at least 180. Hamas's statement says "wide areas of our occupied lands" were targeted with the missile attacks. It happened in reprisal for its invasion of Lebanon.

Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, launched the unprecedented assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, with hundreds of gunmen infiltrating communities near the Gaza Strip. About 1,200 people were killed, and more than 250 were taken to Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, the conflict in the Middle East has been extremely tense. More than 33,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in air and artillery strikes carried out by the Israeli military in response, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says. The US, the European Union, and other Western countries have all condemned the Hamas attack on Israel.

READ MORE: Iran missile attack LIVE: Israel hit by almost 200 missiles in worrying escalation

Addressing his country tonight after the latest barrage, defiant Mr Netanyahu said: "Citizens of Israel, we are in the midst of a campaign against Iran’s axis of evil. Together we will fight and together we will win." Mr Netanyahu has also reportedly spoken with Keir Starmer and their Lebanese counterpart, Najib Mikati, this evening.

Citizens have been evacuated to bomb shelters in Israel. Iran's attack was in reprisal for Israel's invasion of Lebanon. International officials have outlined fears of an impending attack all evening, with Israel having launched an assault on Lebanon as it seeks to target Hezbollah fighters and the organisation's infrastructure. In a brief update this evening, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that Iran has realised those fears.

The service has said Iran has fired missiles at Israel, and air raid sirens are sounding across the country. Residents were ordered to shelter in place and remain close to bomb shelters, and Israel has warned there would be "repercussions" if Iran attacks. Residents of Jerusalem were ordered to shelter in place on Tuesday night ahead of an expected missile attack.