6 hours ago
Last Updated:June 24, 2025, 14:16 IST
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered high-intensity military operations against Iran, accusing it of violating a newly declared ceasefire. Iran denied the allegations.
Israeli soldiers and rescue team search for survivors amid the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike that killed several people, in Beersheba, Israel (Photo: AP)
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he has ordered the country’s military to “respond forcefully" to what he said was Iran’s violation of a ceasefire with Israel.
Iran, however, denied violating the ceasefire and said no new missiles were fired towards Israel ever since the deal was reached.
The directive followed an announcement by the military that it had detected missile launches from Iran towards Israel.
The development came less than three hours after US President Donald Trump said that the ceasefire was now in effect.
Katz said the military had now been instructed to carry out high-intensity operations against targets in Tehran.
According to multiple reports, two ballistic missiles were fired from Iran at Israel after a ceasefire was supposed to take effect.
Both missiles were intercepted.
CEASEFIRE DEAL HANGS IN BALANCE
The truce, as proposed by Trump, hung in the balance as Israel said it had identified missiles launched from Iran into its airspace.
Israel’s claim came after explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel midmorning on Tuesday, after the ceasefire deal was accepted by both.
The agreement came after Tehran launched a retaliatory limited missile attack on a US military base in Qatar on Monday and after it launched an onslaught of missiles targeting Israel that killed at least four people early Tuesday morning.
Israel launched a blitz of airstrikes targeting sites across Iran before dawn.
Though Israel said it had intercepted the midmorning barrage of missiles, it showed how dangerous the situation remained.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with Iran in coordination with Trump.
He, however, had warned had Israel would “respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire".
BOMBARDMENTS CONTINUED UNTIL MORNING
Heavy Israeli strikes continued in Iranian cities until shortly before 4 am (local time), followed by Iranian barrages that sent Israelis hurrying into bomb shelters as the sun rose.
First responders said they retrieved four bodies from one building and were searching for more.
Earlier, the Fire and Rescue service said five bodies were found before revising the number downward.
At least 20 people were injured.
Police said some people were injured even while inside their apartments’ reinforced safe rooms, which are meant to withstand rockets and shrapnel but not direct hits from ballistic missiles.
Israel’s airports have been closed since the war with Iran began, but a handful of emergency flights started arriving and departing over the past few days.
Qatar Airways resumed its flights after Qatar shut down its airspace over the Iranian attack on Al Udeid Air Base.
Flight-tracking data showed commercial aircraft again flying in Qatari airspace, signalling Doha believed the threat to the energy-rich nation had passed.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
News world 'Respond Forcefully': Israel Orders Intense Strikes After Alleged Ceasefire Breach, Iran Denies
