Jerusalem residents take shelter as sirens sound repeatedly

Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Tuesday as Iran launched a fresh round of strikes, forcing residents to seek cover in underground shelters.

Sirens were heard in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the northern cities of Metula and Haifa, the southern city of Ashkelon, and in several settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Debris was reported falling in Umm Al Faham area in central Israel, causing some damage.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, the country's Magen David Adom rescue service said.

A China Media Group (CMG) reporter stationed in Jerusalem recorded footage as he sought shelter alongside others.

"I just came to the supermarket to buy some food, and then suddenly the missile attack warning went off. So now everyone is heading to the underground shelter," said reporter Liang Hui.

"I'm currently in an underground shelter. Many people are waiting inside. This is daily life now. It seems that life has returned to normal, but from time to time, people are disturbed by air-raid sirens," said Liang.

The Israeli military said in a statement that air defense systems are working to intercept the missiles.

The attacks came as the deadly regional conflict entered its 11th day on Tuesday. On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and U.S. assets in the Middle East.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli military said it had begun a new series of airstrikes against Iranian government targets in Tehran.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Iran is well-prepared to continue missile attacks against Israel and U.S. bases in the region for as long as needed.

Jerusalem residents take shelter as sirens sound repeatedly

Jerusalem residents take shelter as sirens sound repeatedly

Jerusalem residents take shelter as sirens sound repeatedly

Jerusalem residents take shelter as sirens sound repeatedly

China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the statement made by Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi 10 years after the so-called "2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea", a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in Beijing on Sunday.

The statement blatantly endorses the illegal "award", attacks China's lawful claims and mischaracterizes Japan as a "legitimate stakeholder who uses the South China Sea", said the spokesperson.

Japan is not a party in the South China Sea and is in no position to pass judgment on China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea. During World War II, Japan committed innumerable crimes that caused untold suffering on China and its people, including the illegal occupation of islands and reefs in the South China Sea, said the spokesperson.

Now decades later, Japan, in the name of a "stakeholder", is again attempting to meddle in the South China Sea. This reminds people of Japan's history of aggression and expansion, and heightens their vigilance against Japan's neo-militarism agenda, said the spokesperson.

China's sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and relevant rights and interests in the South China Sea were established in the long course of history, and are solidly grounded in the law. China's activities in the South China Sea are fully legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach. China's rights in the South China Sea can by no means be denied by the makeshift "arbitral tribunal", said the spokesperson.

In rendering the "award", the "arbitral tribunal" exceeded its authority and abused its jurisdiction. The "award" is naturally illegal, null and void, and has no binding force. It has gravely undermined the sanctity and authority of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and dealt a serious blow to the international rule of law, said the spokesperson.

China neither accepts nor recognizes the "award", and opposes and will never accept any claim or action arising from it, the spokesperson added.

By turning a blind eye to the glaring flaws in the "award" while openly endorsing it, Japan has laid bare its double standards and hypocrisy, said the spokesperson.

What Japan really cares about is not the international rule of law, but meddling in and destabilizing the South China Sea. For some time, Japan has been stepping up collaboration with the Philippines and expanding its export of weapons and equipment to the country. Japan has also deployed military forces overseas on many occasions and launched offensive missiles. These actions go far beyond the scope of self-defense, break free from Japan's Constitution and norms in the international law, and challenge the post-war international order, said the spokesperson.

China urges Japan to stop smearing China, stop sowing disinformation in the South China Sea, and stop undermining peace and stability in the region, said the spokesperson, adding that China will continue firmly defending its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.

Any attempts to challenge China's lawful rights and interests and undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea are doomed to fail, the spokesperson said.

China strongly deplores Japanese FM's statement on South China Sea: spokesperson