A Iranian ballistic missile demolished the right side of a 10-story residential building in Bat Yam, leaving behind a level of destruction rarely seen in Israel's civilian areas early Sunday, as Iran continued its ongoing barrages on Israeli cities with successive volleys. The missile attacks over the weekend started at around 11 p.m. on Saturday. A second missile struck a five-story structure in Rehovot, and a third hit a two-story home in Tamra.
Video: Resident of Bat Yam describes the aftermath of the barrage / Moshe Ben Simchon
In Bat Yam, first-responder teams pronounced six people dead – a woman in her 60s, a woman in her 80s, a 10-year-old boy, a young girl, a woman in her 50s, and an 18-year-old male. They treated 99 victims, with four in critical condition, seven in moderate condition, and 88 with light injuries. More than 30 were still unaccounted for in the morning on Sunday.
A resident of the devastated Bat Yam building, recounted the chaos. "There's no floor, the shelter door was blown off," he said. In Rehovot, rescue personnel provided care to 37 victims, including two in critical condition, 12 in moderate condition, and 23 with minor injuries.
In Tamra, a town in northern Israel, rescue operations freed several trapped individuals with injuries of varying severity. Tragically, medical teams confirmed the deaths of two women in their 40s and two girls, aged 13 and 20, all from one family. Fourteen others sustained injuries.
Video: Tamra, the aftermath of the barrage / Moshe Ben Simchon
The combined toll across the three locations is 154 injured and 10 fatalities. From Bat Yam and Rehovot, six victims remain in critical condition, 19 are moderately injured, and 111 have minor injuries, all transferred to hospitals.
Kobi Mor, Shfela region police commander, issued a statement, saying: "Following tonight's incident in the central district, our officers continue to coordinate the scene with emergency and rescue services. During a further situational assessment led by Commander Kobi Mor, representatives detailed the outcomes of searches for trapped individuals and the evacuation of roughly 40 victims so far, while addressing infrastructure damage to expedite the return to normalcy."
Video: Rehovot, the aftermath of the barrage / Usage under Israeli intellectual property law section 27a
The Home Front Command commander, speaking at the Bat Yam site, emphasized resilience: "In Rehovot, we successfully extracted a survivor from the debris – this grave incident underscores the vital importance of adhering to Home Front Command protocols. Challenging days lie ahead, but we are resolute – we possess the spirit and capability to collaborate with you to safeguard lives and persist in our rescue efforts."
