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.
Latest headlines:
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.
G7 foreign ministers: Iran should be held accountable for 'malicious and destabilizing actions'
The foreign ministers at the G7 meeting in Capri, Italy, issued a lengthy statement condemning Iran’s weekend attack on Israel.
"We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel of April 13-14, which Israel defeated with the help of its partners. This was a dangerous escalation, as Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones," the leaders said.
"We will hold the Iranian government accountable for its malicious and destabilizing actions and we stand ready to adopt further sanctions or take other measures, now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives," the leaders said.
They added, "In light of reports of strikes on April 19th [from Israel to Iran], we urge all parties to work to prevent further escalation."
The G7 leaders also called on Israel to do more to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty
House votes to advance foreign aid bills, including $26B for Israel
The House on Friday cleared a key procedural hurdle in passing foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, despite dozens of Republican defections, with Democrats helping Speaker Mike Johnson avoid a defeat.
The Israel bill would provide roughly $26 billion in aid.
Its passage means the House will debate the bills Saturday morning before voting Saturday afternoon to send it to the Senate.
Israelis fired 3 missiles in limited strike
Three missiles were fired from Israeli fighter aircraft outside of Iran in Friday morning’s very limited strike, according to a senior U.S. official.
The Israelis were targeting an air defense radar site near Isfahan that’s part of the protection of the Natanz nuclear facility, the official said. The first assessment is that the strike took out the site, but assessment hasn’t been completed, the official said.
The strike was intended to send a signal to Iran that Israel has these capabilities, but was not looking to escalate the situation, according to the official.
Blinken says US 'not involved' in Israel's strike on Iran
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has denied any U.S. involvement in Israel's retaliatory strike on Iran.
Blinken was asked at a press conference early Friday morning if Israel told the United States in advance of the strikes in Iran.
"I’m not going to respond," Blinken said. He went on to say that "the U.S. was not involved in any Israel offensive.”
US Central Command leader to meet with Israel about Iran threat, building piers
Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command, is set to meet with officials in Israel about Iran and the Joint logistics over-the-shore floating piers which U.S. military officials currently on the ground in Israel have been working to coordinate with Israeli military officials, an Israeli official told ABC News.
The official said there has been a "marathon of calls" between Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the National Security Council, the State Department and the Pentagon, which the official credits with increasing statements of support by the administration for Israel in case it’s attacked by Iran. Those talks were an extension of the meetings two weeks ago when the White House summoned Israeli officials to Washington to discuss the urgent need to increase humanitarian aid in Gaza.
After months of U.S. calls for Israel to massively increase aid, multiple Israeli security officials tell ABC News that Israel heard the message loud and clear this time.
"We heard what they said about the humanitarian effort," the official told ABC News, noting Gallant came back from his trip to the U.S. and gave a "directive: 'We need to make an immediate impact on the scope and speed of the humanitarian aid going into Gaza,' and that's what we've done."
-ABC News' Matt Gutman