The third reported salvo came shortly after US President Donald Trump delivered an address to the American public about the Middle East war.

After the first attack, police said officers were called to “several” impact sites in central Israel, with media reports putting the number at nine.

Four people were lightly wounded, the reports said, citing medics.

Israeli media attributed the damage across a relatively wide area to the use of cluster munitions, which explode mid-air and scatter bomblets.

Iran and Israel have previously accused each other of using cluster bombs.

Within just over three hours of the first attack, the military announced it had again “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel”, triggering air raid sirens across much of northern and central Israel.

The military’s home front command later said residents were “permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas of the country”.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage as a result of the second and third reported attacks.

On Wednesday, as Jewish Israelis were preparing to celebrate the Passover holiday, emergency services said Iranian missile fire wounded 14 people, including an 11-year-old girl.