In a park overlooking Damascus, 25-year-old Khaldoun Hallak has spent the past few evenings with his friends, drinking yerba mate, snacking on nuts, smoking hookah pipes and watching the sky for missiles streaking overhead.

Israel’s air defenses—a multilayered system that includes the famed Iron Dome—are among the best in the world and the most battle-tested, but even so they aren't completely impenetrable, Israeli officials and air-defense experts say.

Iran launched dozens of ballistic missiles toward Israel on Friday night in retaliation for Israel's surprise attack early Friday. Israel struck at the heart of the Iran's nuclear program, killing several nuclear scientists as well as high-ranking military leaders, according to Israeli officials.

Missiles and projectiles were seen in the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv early on Sunday as Tehran unleashed a fresh attack on Israel which in turn launched an expanded assault on Iran.

Israeli authorities have signaled that the barrage appears to have subsided, giving the all clear for people to leave their shelters. They said that emergency services were responding to reports of damage from the missiles and are providing treatment to several people with minor injuries.

Aerial attacks between Israel and Iran continued overnight into Monday, marking a fourth day of strikes following Israel's Friday attack. That surprise strike hit the heart of Iran's nuclear program, killing several nuclear scientists as well as high-ranking military leaders, according to Israeli officials.

Iran and Israel have launched a fresh wave of attacks on each other in a development that continues to raise fears of the wider region being plunged into a destabilising conflict. Iranian missiles struck Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa shortly before dawn on Monday,

Iran's nuclear program will be hard to dismantle, but Israel has increased its superiority in missile and air defence capabilities