Tel Aviv [Israel], March 21 (ANI): The Israel Defence Forces on Satirday shared footage from the site of a claimed missile strike in central Israel, saying an Iranian missile witha cluster warhead hit a kindergarten in Rishon Lezion.

In a post on X, the IDF said Brigadier General (BG) Elad Edri, Chief of Staff of the Israel Home Front Command, visited the site where the missile struck.

https://x.com/IDF/status/2035298614914752916

'Once again, we see how our enemy aims their targets at civilian populations. They try to kill and impact as much as they can,' Edri said while standing at the location of the claimed impact.

Describing the strike, in the shared footage, he said the missile, identified as a cluster bomb, penetrated the kindergarten building on A Saturday morning, when many people in Israel are typically at home for the weekend.

'We are here on Saturday morning. It's the weekend in Israel. Most of the people are in their homes. But you can see here, the penetration of the bomb, a cluster bomb, into this kindergarten,' Edri said.

He added that the situation could have been far worse if children had been present at the time of the strike.

'Fortunately, there weren't any kids in this garden. But just imagine what would have happened if kids were here, playing, staying during their daily routine,' he said.

Edri further accused Israel's adversaries of deliberately targeting civilian areas, saying, 'Once again, we see that our enemies aim their targets to civilian population. They try to kill and to impact as much as they can.'

Earlier, Iran issued a strong warning to the United States and Israel, stating that any attack on its infrastructure would be met with more extensive retaliatory strikes amid escalating conflict in the region, Iranian State Media Tasnim News Agency reported.

A spokesperson for the Central Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters said that Iran's armed forces are prepared to intensify their response if aggression continues.

'Strike our infrastructure, and we will strike more important and numerous infrastructure of yours. We remain powerful and will remain powerful by the permission of God,' the spokesperson said, as quoted by Tasnim News Agency, underlining Iran's readiness to escalate its military response.

He further stated that Iran is not only defending itself but also acting in the interest of regional security and the broader Muslim world.

'Iran is fighting not only in defence of itself but also for the security of the region and Muslims,' the spokesperson added, as quoted by Tasnim News Agency. (ANI)