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.
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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.
US helped 'take down nearly all' incoming drones, missiles: Biden
The U.S. helped "Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles," President Joe Biden said in a statement late Saturday evening.
The president also detailed his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the attacks, where Biden said he reaffirmed America's "ironclad commitment to the security of Israel." He also said that his team would stay in "close touch" with Israel's leaders.
Biden said his team will engage with the G7 leaders on Sunday to coordinate a "united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack."
He noted that though American forces were not impacted, forces will continue to monitor and "will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people."
-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart
31 people treated for stress, minor injuries going to shelters: Israeli police
According to Israeli police, Magen David Adom EMTs and paramedics were dispatched to 31 casualties in mild condition with anxiety symptoms or injuries caused while seeking shelter.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
Congress shows bipartisan support for Israel
Congressional members from both sides of the aisle are out in full force expressing their full support for Israel and its right to defend itself from strikes by Iran.
Republicans are also calling on President Joe Biden to do more to assist Israel and to get tougher on Iran.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, in a particularly strongly-worded statement, called on the administration to "lead an international effort to impose sufficient costs on Tehran to compel an end to its aggression and terror, both on Israeli soil and -- as demonstrated with today’s IRGC assault on a commercial shipping vessel -- around the region."
Congress has not yet approved additional aid to Israel specific to the escalating conflict in the region since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.
The Senate approved billions in aid for Israel as part of its national defense supplemental, including aid for Ukraine. The House has not taken it up, and House Speaker Mike Johnson has instead said he's working on crafting yet-to-be-announced modifications to that package.
In a statement Saturday night, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said the House will "move from its previously announced legislative schedule next week to instead consider legislation that supports our ally Israel and holds Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable."
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin and John Parkinson
Biden and Netanyahu to speak this evening
A senior administration official confirmed to ABC News President Biden and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are planning to speak Saturday evening.
President Biden is currently back in the Situation Room in a follow-up meeting with his national security team. The first meeting they had this afternoon in lasted for approximately two hours.
The official said they could reconvene the meetings again later tonight.
-ABC News' Selina Wang
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