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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Iran warns US to 'STAY AWAY', saying attack is 'legitimate defense'

Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations says its attack on Israel was conducted as a "legitimate defense" in response to Israel's attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria.

"Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus. The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!" Iran's permanent mission to the U.N. said in a statement.


IDF tells residents in occupied Golan Heights region to stay close to safe rooms

The Israel Defense Forces said it has told Israeli residents in the occupied Golan Heights region to stay close to their safe rooms, according to the IDF.

"In accordance with the situational assessment, residents of the northern Golan Heights, the area of Nevatim, Dimona, and Eilat are required to stay near protective spaces until further notice," the IDF said in a statement.

"Upon the activation of sirens, it is required to enter into a protected space. If there is no protected space, it is required to find the most protected area possible. In any case, it is required to wait ten minutes, and no less," the statement said.


US forces shot down some of the Iranian drones headed toward Israel

U.S. forces have shot down some of the Iranian drones headed towards Israel, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News.

The U.S. has lots of capabilities in the region beyond what is in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez and Martha Raddatz


Israel says over 100 drones have been fired in Iran attack

Over 100 drones have been fired at Israel by Iran, in addition to more than 100 unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Iran, the Israel Defense Forces said in a press conference Saturday.

Dozens of Israeli Air Force jets are also airborne and a joint operational plan was devised with U.S. Central Command, according to the IDF.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Dana Savir


Kirby says it's up to Israel on how to respond to Iran's attack

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told ABC's "Good Morning America" Sunday that any response to Iran's Saturday night attack is up to Israeli forces.

But Kirby stressed that President Joe Biden does not want the situation to escalate or have the U.S. drawn further into any conflict.

When asked by ABC News' Whit Johnson about a response from Israel, Kirby said that it is up to the Israeli government to decide how to respond. He added that "the damage was extremely light," and the defenses in place proved Israel can defend itself.

"I won't speak for the Israelis. It's going to be up to them to decide whether and how they'll respond to this," Kirby said. "They showed last night, an incredible military capability on their own, but certainly in concert with friends."

When pressed about reports that Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the U.S. would oppose a counterattack on Iran, Kirby said it was "not an accurate reading" of the president's message. He emphasized that the White House does not "want to see the situation escalate further."

"The president understands the prime minister runs a government for a sovereign state of Israel, and that they'll decide whether and how they're going to respond to what Iran did last night," Kirby said.

Kirby reiterated the White House's message that the president will do "whatever he has to protect our troops and our facilities, our people in the region." He said there is no current threat to U.S. service members and facilities, noting that more U.S. forces moved into the region after Oct. 7 to help defend Israel and shipping channels in the Red Sea.

"We're going to obviously be vigilant to any potential threat to our forces in the region," Kirby said. "But the president has been clear we are not looking for a wider war. We're not looking for a second front or a third front. We're not looking to see escalation and we're certainly not looking for a war with Iran."

Kirby added that good intelligence about the attack helped the U.S. and Israel prepare.

"We've been watching as closely as we could the intelligence picture, we had a pretty good indication of the size and the scale and the scope of what Iran was planning," Kirby said. "That is why, because we had a good sense of what they were going to do and with how much, we were able to really help Israel knock down almost everything that Iran threw at them."