The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a series of missiles, including some carrying cluster munitions, in the early hours of 18/3. This was in retaliation for Israel's killing of National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani.

Israeli officials reported four waves of missile launches from 0h to 8h, striking multiple locations in central Israel. The attacks resulted in injuries and property damage.

A submunition from an Iranian missile directly hit an apartment building in Ramat Gan, a city adjacent to Tel Aviv. Yaron and Ilana Moshe, a couple in their 70s, died at the scene.

Police stated that the Moshe couple died while attempting to reach the bomb shelter within their apartment. "They did not make it in time, only meters away," said Tel Aviv police commander Haim Sargaroff. A walking frame for the elderly was found next to their bodies.

Scene of the airstrike that killed two people in Ramat Gan, central Israel, early on 18/3. Photo: ToI

Neighbor Chen Amir recounted that after the sirens sounded, he and his wife immediately entered their family's shelter.

"I heard a loud explosion," Amir recalled. "When I opened the door, thick smoke filled the air. Furniture was scattered, and walls were cracked."

Many other locations in central Israel reported being struck by missile submunitions, with widespread devastation visible in numerous areas. Bomb disposal experts are currently working at sites where unexploded submunitions remain.

The Israeli Health Ministry announced that 192 injured people were hospitalized in the past 24 hours, including 177 cases of minor trauma. Some individuals required treatment for shock.

Damage caused by a submunition from an Iranian missile in central Israel, on 18/3. Photo: ToI

Israeli officials indicated that Iran's cluster munitions can disperse dozens of submunitions, each containing several kg of explosives, within a radius of approximately 10 km. In a statement, the IRGC confirmed using Khoramshahr-4 and Qadr models, which carry multiple warheads, as well as Emad and Kheibar Shekan missiles.

"Cluster munition missiles are posing a new challenge for Israeli air defense, as they cannot intercept small submunitions in a short timeframe. This is among the mechanisms designed to overcome modern defense systems," stated Tal Inbar, a missile expert advising Israeli defense companies.

Moment Iranian submunitions struck central Israel in a video posted on 18/3. Video: Kan

Duc Trung (According to Times of Israel, AP, AFP)