Israel-Gaza updates: 22, including 18 children, reported dead in Rafah strikes

The IDF says it struck military targets of terrorist organizations in Gaza.

Israel launched a retaliatory strike against Iran early Friday morning local time, a senior U.S. official told ABC News.

The strike followed Iran's attack on Saturday, when Tehran sent a volley of more than 300 drones and missiles toward targets in Israel, according to Israeli military officials. All but a few were intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the United States, officials said.

Iran's weekend attack came more than six months after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, after which the Israeli military began its bombardment of Gaza.


What to know about Iran's attack on Israel

Israeli officials said the country's Iron Dome defense system endured a big test from Iran's attack on Saturday, intercepting 99% of the 300 "threats of various types" thrown at it.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari, launched 170 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more than 120 ballistic missiles and more than 30 cruise missiles in the attack.

Hagari said "99% of the threats launched towards Israeli territory were intercepted -- a very significant strategic achievement."

Hagari said the attack resulted in only one known Israeli casualty, a 7-year-old girl who was severely injured when she was struck by shrapnel apparently from an intercepted missile.


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Half of ballistic missiles launched at Israel failed: Officials

Two U.S. officials confirm to ABC News that at least half of the ballistic missiles launched by Iran at Israel either failed to launch, failed in flight, or crashed before reaching their targets in Israel.

A senior U.S. official previously told ABC News that among the more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, there were between 115 and 135 ballistic missiles that targeted Israel.

That would mean that only half of the ballistic missiles launched by Iran needed to be shot down by Israel and other countries.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report this info.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez


US forces destroy 80 drones, at least 6 ballistic missiles

U.S. military forces destroyed 80 drones and at least six ballistic missiles out of the more than 300 launched from Iran, according to CENTCOM Sunday.

The drone number is an update from Saturday evening, when the U.S. said it had intercepted 70 drones.

CENTCOM said the total included a ballistic missile that was on its launcher vehicle and seven drones before they left the ground.

-ABC News' Anne Flaherty


Israeli military submitted a 'spectrum of response options' to the government

Israeli military officials have submitted "a wide range of options" to respond to Iran’s missile strike Saturday, Israeli Defense Federation (IDF) spokesperson Peter Lerner told reporters early Monday morning in Tel Aviv.

The IDF’s response could be "strike or no strike," according to Lerner, who noted, there are "a lot of different scenarios in between those two."

The Israeli government will "decide on the steps forward" as early as Monday or within the coming days, Lerner said.

When asked about Iran’s "substantial" missile strike being intercepted with minimal damage, Lerner said, "Just because we were successful in intercepting, we shouldn't underestimate what Iran did."

"We can't take that lightly," Lerner said.


Israel reopens schools, relaxes restrictions on gatherings

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has eased homefront command guidelines after closing schools and limiting gatherings ahead of Iran’s missile strike Saturday.

"It was decided to restore educational activities across Israel," the IDF said in a statement early Monday, local time. The changes went into effect at midnight, according to Israel's Home Front Command.

Communities near the northern border and the Gaza Strip can also resume educational activities "in subject with restrictions."

-ABC News' William Gretzky


Biden calls for cease-fire 'now' to get aid into Gaza in Univision interview

President Joe Biden called for an immediate cease-fire to get food and aid into Gaza in an interview airing Tuesday night on Univision.

"So I what I'm calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a cease-fire, allow for the next six, eight weeks total access to all food and medicine going into the country," Biden said in the interview with Univision's Enrique Acevedo. "I've spoken with everyone from the Saudis to the Jordanians to the Egyptians. They're prepared to move in. They're prepared to move this food in. And I think there's no excuse to not provide for the medical and the food needs of those people. It should be done now."

Biden did not mention tying the cease-fire to a hostage deal, according to a transcript of the interview, which would be a shift for the administration. ABC News has reached out to the White House for comment.

Last week, officials pushed back on suggestions that they were separating calls for a cease-fire from hostage negotiations in their readout of Biden's call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Our conviction remains that we need to see an immediate cease-fire to enable the release of hostages but also to enable a dramatic surge in humanitarian assistance, as well as obviously better protecting civilians," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on April 4.

In the Univision interview, Biden also called Netanyahu's approach in Gaza "a mistake" when asked if he believed the prime minister was "more concerned about his political survival than he is in the national interest of his people" as calls for Netanyahu's resignation have increased following the strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers.

"Well, I will tell you, I think what he's doing is a mistake. I don't agree with his approach. I think it's outrageous that those four, three vehicles were hit by drones and taken out on a highway where it wasn't like it was along the shore, it wasn't like there was a convoy moving there, etc.," Biden said in the interview.

The hour-long interview, which is airing at 10 p.m. ET, was taped a day before Biden's call with Netanyahu on April 4.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle