Israel under attack: Iran launches missiles, gunmen kill at least 8 near Tel Aviv

The Department of Homeland Security plans to dole out an additional $210 million to protect faith-based institutions and nonprofit organizations against targeted attacks, the agency said Tuesday.

The funds come from the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funds, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and are part of an effort to combat an increase in hate crimes and other forms of targeted violence against faith-based institutions and nonprofits that began after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Many Jewish institutions have been targeted following Israel's response to the deadly attacks on its citizens.

“Now, when we continue to live in a heightened threat environment, the security-enhancing grant funds we provide to non-profit organizations are more critical than ever,” said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

After the Hamas attack on Israel, more than 3,200 faith-based and other nonprofit groups were awarded more $454 million in NSGP funding to purchase security cameras, additional warning and alert systems, gates and lighting, access control systems, and training programs for staff, DHS said.

CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour insisted Tuesday that Iran does not want conflict to escalate between itself and Israel, or the United States.

Amanpour made the statement during network coverage of Iran launching missile strikes into Israel in retaliation for the country’s airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon last week.

"Nobody, nobody - not the Lebanese nor the Iranians, want this to escalate even further. Iran does not want an Israeli or a U.S. war against it," Amanpour told CNN anchor Dana Bash on Tuesday morning, suggesting the current rocket barrage was calculated to prompt minimal response from Israeli forces.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said this barrage of hundreds of missiles is in retaliation for the killing of the terror group leader Nasrallah in Beirut last week, and the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.

Read more about what the CNN correspondent said.

Fox News Digital’s Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.

Jewish American leaders on Tuesday afternoon reacted to Iran's unprecedented missile attack against Israel.

The attack, which included more than a hundred missiles, according to Israel, came in response to the recent deaths of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders.

"The United States stands with its only democratic ally in the Middle East, Israel, as it defends itself and its people against evil," Ohio Republican Rep. Max Miller told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Iran and its proxies must stop threatening the world."

In a Sept. 30 statement, Miller said, "Israel's efforts to dismantle Hezbollah are making the world a safer place."

Read more about what Miller had to say.

Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.

During a campaign Q&A in Milwaukee on Tuesday, former President Trump was asked by a reporter how he would handle Iran.

“Last week you had suggested that if Iran tried to attack you, that you would blow the country to smithereens. How would you handle Iran right now without US forces? Would you use U.S. force?” Trump was asked.

"You know, I wouldn't be around if they did that. But let's assume I'm not around, the president of the United States should blow that country to smithereens, because you can't do that," he replied.

“And the president should make a statement to that effect,” he added.

Trump added that Iran wasn't in a position to sponsor terrorism when he was in the White House.

He cited the Biden administration's issuing of a sanctions waiver in September 2023, which allowed $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds to be transferred from South Korea to Qatar as part of a deal to free five detained Americans in Iran.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., like several other lawmakers, released a statement condemning Iran’s massive missile attack on Israel, though he also continued to call for a ceasefire hostage deal to resolve a “wider conflict.”

“I strongly condemn Iran’s massive missile attack on Israel. For months, leaders in Israel and Iran have chosen to escalate tensions rather than pursue diplomatic solutions,” Sanders said. “They have pushed us to the brink of a wider and more disastrous war. The U.S. must now forcefully demand an end to hostilities.

“A ceasefire for [a] hostage deal remains the key to resolving the wider conflict. That could stop the escalatory cycle, and end the bombing and the rocket attacks, and allow displaced people to return to their homes sooner,” he added. “It is the only way to protect civilians, end suffering of the Palestinian people, as well as ensure peace in the region and security for Israel.”

Sanders also said the U.S. cannot allow extremist leaders in the Middle East draw our country into another war in the region.

The comments came as other lawmakers like House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer issued statements condemning the attacks, as well.

"The United States will continue to stand by our ally Israel in support of Israel’s right to defend itself," Schumer said. "Iran and its proxies must be held accountable.”

The stock market took a small hit on Tuesday as the Israel-Hamas war escalated amid ground strikes from Israel and rocket attacks from Iran.

As of closing time on Tuesday, the Dow was down 0.4% and the S&P 500 was down 0.9%. The Nasdaq was down the largest margin at 1.5%.

At the same time, oil and defense shares rose: Exxon Mobil shares grew by 2.3% and Lockheed Martin was up 3.6%.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called for the destruction of Iran's nuclear program, saying Israel has its greatest opportunity in 50 years to “change the face of the Middle East.”

“The octopus's tentacles are temporarily paralysed (sic) - now comes the head,” Bennet posted on X.

He said Iran, which “used to be good at chess,” made a mistake by launching a barrage of missile at Israel on Tuesday.

“We must act *now* to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, its central energy facilities, and to fatally cripple this terrorist regime,” he wrote. “To strike the head of the octopus of terror, that, in its cowardice, sent its tentacles (Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, etc.) to murder us, while the Ayatollahs sat safely in their palaces in Tehran.”

“The octopus's tentacles are temporarily paralysed (sic) - now comes the head,” he added.

He further said Tehran has committed a range of atrocities against the Jewish state over the past year, including its proxies raping and kidnapping Israeli children.

“Now is the moment. A Nation of Lions has united and proven its strength over the last year. It has yearned for a change, for action, for so very long,” said Bennet. “There are times when history knocks at our door, and we must open it.” 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Iran’s attack in which nearly 200 missiles were launched toward Israel on Tuesday.

Starmer said in a video that over the last few hours, Iran launched the missiles toward civilian targets, adding it was too soon to assess the impact of the attack.

“I utterly condemn this attempt by the Iranian regime to harm innocent Israelis, to escalate this incredibly dangerous situation and push the region ever closer to the bring,” he said. “It cannot be tolerated. We stand with Israel and we recognize her right to self-defense in the face of this aggression.”

Starmer said Iran and its proxies like Hezbollah must stop the attacks.

“Iran has menaced the Middle East for far too long – chaos and destruction brought not just to Israel, but to the people they live amongst in Lebanon and beyond,” he said. “Make no mistake. Britain stands foursquare against such violence. We support Israel’s reasonable demand for the security of its people.”

Starmer has spoken with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the king of Jordan, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz over the past week, as well as leaders in the Middle East to help find a political solution to the conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza.

“This situation in Lebanon is increasingly grave,” Starmer said, advising British nationals in Lebanon to leave now.

“We’re doing everything we can to get people out,” he said. “But the situation is extremely volatile.”

The U.S. Embassy in Israel lifted its shelter in place order government employees and their families, hours after Iranian missiles targeted the country.

“The threat of missile barrages has diminished,” the State Department posted on X. “Consistent with current guidance from Israel’s Homefront Command, the shelter in place order for U.S. government employees and their family members has been lifted. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is continuously and closely monitoring the security situation.”

“However, the previous travel restrictions on U.S. government employees and their family members remain in place,” the post continued.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., called on the Biden-Harris administration to stop giving billions of dollars in sanctions relief to Iran and enforce all sanctions against the country to the fullest.

Johnson delivered remarks to the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, bringing up the latest attack by Iran against Israel.

“We're praying for the safety of the Israeli families, of course, and the House GOP leadership is urging the Biden-Harris administration to deliver a strong message to the Iranian regime that is this: unjustified violence and terror has to end,” the House speaker said. “We also recognize that it's hypocritical for the administration to express support for Israel's defense while continuing to appease the Iranian regime with billions or hundreds of billions of dollars in sanctions relief.

“It's long past time for the administration to fully enforce the Iran sanctions on the books and reimpose the UN sanctions, lest they expire,” Johnson continued. “Right now, American leadership has never been more important, and we need a maximum pressure campaign on Iran and its terror proxies.

“The world must know that the United States will continue to stand firmly with Israel as it fights for its very survival, and President Biden needs to make clear that there will be decisive economic and potential military ramifications for these actions,” he concluded.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations said Tuesday that the country reserves the right to defend itself.

In a letter to the United Nations Security Council, Danny Danon condemned Iran's missile attack on Israel.

“This is the second time in months that Iran tried to attack Israel directly. On April 13, Iran launched dozens of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles in violation of Israeli sovereignty and international law,” he wrote. "In response to these dangerous developments, I reiterate that Israel reserves the right to take all necessary measures to defend itself and its citizens in accordance with international law against Iran's hostile acts."

Danon demanded the Security Council to "take decisive steps and condemn Iran for its ongoing violations and to designate the Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organization."

The global body will meet Wednesday to discuss the attack.

Six people were killed and nine injured during a Tuesday night terrorist attack in Israel, around the same time a large barrage of rocket fire targeted the Jewish state from Iran, authorities said.

The six civilians were either shot and stabbed in Tel Aviv, the Israel Police said.

“Two terrorists who started a killing spree on the lightrail and continued on foot were neutralized,” by authorities and bystanders who were carrying firearms, a police spokesman said in a video message released by authorities.

No information was released on the conditions of the nine people injured.

At around the same time, nearly 200 missiles targeted Israel in an attack by Iran.

Authorities urged civilians to stay close to shelters.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stern warning to Iran after the country attacked Israel with hundreds of rockets on Tuesday.

Netanyahu began his statement by acknowledging the rocket attacks, which were "thwarted thanks to Israel's air defense system, which is the most advanced in the world."

"I commend the IDF for this impressive achievement... I also thank the United States for its support of our defense efforts," the Israeli leader said.

"Iran made a grave mistake this evening – and it will pay for it," he continued. "The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our resolve to retaliate against our enemies."

Fox News' Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this update.

Vice President Harris, who spent part of her day in the Situation Room with President Biden, said she fully supported the president’s decision to shoot down Iranian missiles targeting Israel, adding her commitment to the security of Israel is “unwavering.”

On Tuesday, Harris said she was with Biden and the national security team in the Situation Room, where they monitored the attack from Iran on Israel in real time.

“I fully support President Biden’s order for the U.S. military to shoot down Iranian missiles targeting Israel, just as we did in April,” she said. “We are still assessing the impact, but initial indications are that Israel, with our assistance, was able to defeat this attack. Our joint defenses have been effective and this operation and successful cooperation saved many innocent lives.

Harris continued, saying she will “always” have the ability to defend itself from Iran and Iranian-backed proxies, noting that her commitment to the security of Israel is “unwavering.”

“Iran is not only a threat to Israel. Iran is also a threat to American personnel in the region,” she said. “American interests and innocent civilians across the region who suffer at the hands of Iran based and backed terrorist proxies.

“We will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend U.S. forces and interests against Iran and Iran backed terrorists,” Harris said. “And we will continue to work with our allies and partners to disrupt Iran's aggressive behavior and hold them accountable.”

Israel UN Ambassador Danny Danon condemned Iran's attacks against Israel on Tuesday afternoon, as the conflicts in the Middle East escalate at a rapid pace.

Speaking to reporters, Danon issued an eerie threat against the Iranian government, promising a "painful" retaliation from Israel.

"I can tell you one thing," the ambassador said. It will be noticed. It will be painful."

"And I think that the people of Iran who are watching us understand that it is not against the Iranian people, it's against the radical regime that dragged the Iranian people into this situation," he added.

Fox News' David Hammelburg contributed to this update.

President Biden, who spent part of the day in the Situation Room, said the U.S. is fully supportive of Israel.

While providing an update on hurricane relief in the southeastern portion of the U.S., which was devastated by Helene over the weekend, Biden addressed the conflict between Israel and Iran.

“At my direction, the United State military actively supported the defense of Israel, and we’re still assessing the impact,” Biden said. “But, based on what we know, the attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective.

“This is a testament to Israeli military capability and the U.S. military,” he continued. “It’s also a testament to intensive planning between the United States and Israel to anticipate and defend against the brazen attack.

“Make no mistake, the United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel,” Biden added.

The president noted that he spent the morning and part of the afternoon in the Situation Room, meeting with his national security team and consulting with Israelis.

House Republican leaders said the “strategy of appeasement” to Iran has failed following its brazen attack on Israel hours earlier.

“Iran is again brazenly attacking Israel with a barrage of rocket fire and an apparent coordinated terrorist attack. The world is watching as Israeli families seek safety and shelter as waves of missile attacks light up the sky,” read a joint statement from House Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Chairwoman Elise Stefanik.

“The strategy of appeasement has failed, and a policy of interdiction is not enough,” they added.

The GOP leaders called for the Biden administration to continue to stand with Israel as it plots its response.

“American leadership has never been more important, and the world should know that the United States will continue to stand firmly with Israel as it fights for its very survival," they said. “Our adversaries are carrying out increasingly dangerous attacks because of Biden and Harris' weak and failed foreign policy.”

"The world needs America to return to a maximum pressure campaign against Iran, and President Biden needs to make clear that there will be decisive economic and potential military ramifications for these actions," they added.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday that it was time for Iran and its proxies to “face severe consequences,” after the country launched a barrage of nearly 200 missiles at Israel on Tuesday.

“Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorists bent on destroying it. The United States must stand with our friend under fire,” McConnell said. “The Biden Administration has repeatedly threatened Iran with ‘severe consequences’ for its campaign of terror against Israel and the United States, but failed to impose them. It has pledged ‘ironclad’ support for Israel, only to delay and withhold the security assistance that would give this pledge any weight.

“It is not enough to issue statements,” the senator continued. “It is not enough to intercept missiles and drones moments before they reach civilians in Israel or U.S. personnel in the Red Sea. It is time for America to act like the friend of Israel we claim to be. It is time to replenish Israel’s supply of critical munitions.

“It is time for the world’s leading architects of terror, and their proxies, to face severe consequences,” McConnell concluded.

The "significant" role the U.S. played in helping Israel fend off Iran's aerial assault on Tuesday came just hours after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin assured Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that the U.S. had "increased force readiness" and stood ready.

"This is a significant escalation by Iran," White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday. "It is equally significant that we were able to step up with Israel and create a situation in which no one was killed in this attack in Israel."

The comments were made following a massive missile strike fired by Iran in which some 180 missiles were fired at Israel.

Read more about the United State’s role in defending Israel.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall and Liz Friden contributed to this report.