CAIRO/JERUSALEM/TEHRAN, April 15 (Xinhua) -- In the wee hours of Sunday morning, cramped in safe rooms and bomb shelters, Israelis restlessly tracked a forewarned, almost live-broadcasted Iranian strike on their cellphones until air raid sirens and loud booms broke the eerie quiet of the night.

Now after more than 24 hours, raid-related restrictions have all been lifted in Israel. But the strange experience of seeing a massive air attack unfolding from the fingertip to above their heads left many Israelis with a sour aftertaste.

On Saturday, around 11 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) in Israel, Iran announced the launching of missiles and drones toward Israel. The Israeli military immediately confirmed the attack, stressing air defense systems were prepared to protect citizens.

By then, schools were closed, flights were grounded, and outdoor gatherings were banned. The swarm of missiles and drones was reported to take hours to reach Israeli territory. Millions in Israel watched the developments intently on their TVs and cellphones.

Snapshots of aviation tracker apps circulating on social media displayed a conspicuous absence in the skies of some neighboring countries. Then one post after another popped up, updating drones' locations from Iraq and Syria to Jordan in real time.

"It was a strange feeling, knowing that something will be coming and knowing even when it will arrive, but having the final result still being 'up in the air,' " Josh, a 35-year-old Israeli man, described his experience of the night to Xinhua, with a witty pun.

Warfare in the era of social media has been a new experience to many, even for Josh. He indicated that the overnight "online countdown" of Iran's attack, in addition to more than six months of information overload on the conflict in the Gaza Strip, was nerve-wracking.

"I don't know if the country will wake up to 3,000 killed or to a bit of relief at the success of intercepting all of them (drones and missiles)," said Josh.

As Israelis waited with bated breath, Iranians took to the streets in celebration, even as the missiles and drones were still en route. Waving Iranian and Palestinian flags, they honked and cheered while driving through Tehran's center.

Finally, at around 2 a.m. local time on Sunday in Jerusalem, massive explosions illuminated Israel's sky. The thunderous sounds of interceptions were resounding. Fiery streaks, resembling a meteor shower, slowly traversed the city's skyline before disappearing over the horizon. The wait was over.

The aerial duel, visible to the naked eye, attracted many Israelis to take videos and post them on social media.

The Israeli military said on Sunday that it intercepted about 99 percent of the more than 300 missiles and drones Iran launched late Saturday in its first direct attack against Israel.

The Iranian side, however, claimed that 50 percent of its drones and missiles have successfully reached their targets, claiming the attack a victory.

The airstrike on Israel represents a historic moment as two long-standing adversaries in the Middle East, entangled in decades of proxy conflicts and espionage, now confront each other directly.

Tensions between Iran and Israel have escalated over the past six months, particularly concerning the Gaza conflict, which has claimed the lives of over 33,700 Palestinians. The situation reached a critical juncture when Israel launched an attack on the Iranian consular building in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, resulting in the deaths of seven Iranian officials.

"The Iranians believed the airstrike was a rightful revenge for what happened in Damascus," said a Chinese man who had been working in Iran for two years.

Requesting anonymity, he told Xinhua that despite the sense of victory displayed on the streets and sung highly by the authorities, the atmosphere remained tense in the country.

"Schools are closed, and numerous flights have been canceled," he noted, expressing concern over a potential Israeli counterattack that could drastically alter life there.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Iran at this moment no longer sought to continue its retaliatory military operations against Israel. However, how Israel will react takes the attention of the world as the international community dreads the possibility of large-scale conflict between the two regional powers.

Expressing hope for de-escalation, an Iranian man, who asked to be anonymous, told Xinhua on a street in Tehran that "waging war is not in the interests of any party, and all disputes should be resolved through diplomatic channels rather than the use of force." ■