Tel Aviv: In the wake of Iran’s direct drone and missile assault on Israel last Sunday, a tragic incident unfolded, claiming the life of a seven-year-old Bedouin girl as the lone casualty.
Reports from The Times of Israel detailed how the young girl fell victim to Iranian shrapnel when a ballistic missile struck her family’s residence in Arad, nestled within the Negev Desert. Despite efforts to save her, the severity of the head injuries proved fatal, marking her as the solitary fatality resulting from the Iranian aggression.
In retaliation to an alleged Israeli strike on the Iranian Consulate in Beirut, Iran launched an onslaught comprising approximately 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and some 120 ballistic missiles aimed at Israeli territories.
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Remarkably, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Air Force successfully intercepted and neutralized a staggering 99% of the incoming missiles, averting widespread devastation.
The assault on the Iranian Consulate, meanwhile, resulted in the demise of a high-ranking Iranian general and six other military personnel.
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The Bedouin, an indigenous group of nomadic Arab tribes, historically inhabit the deserts spanning the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, and the Levant, including regions within Israel.
Israel, with a diverse demographic landscape, is home to approximately 2.1 million Arab Muslims, constituting 21% of the nation’s population alongside its Jewish majority.
Furthermore, reflecting a dynamic societal integration, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have observed an uptick in Arab enlistment, with numbers rising from 606 recruits in 2020 to 489 in 2019.
