The difficult arena in Beit Shemesh

הזירה הקשה בבית שמש

The scene of the fall in Beit Shemesh | Documentation @VeredPelman @Roi_Yanovsky

זירת הנפילה בבית שמש | תיעוד @VeredPelman @Roi_Yanovsky

JERUSALEM (AP) — Tamar Biton was in the kitchen when an explosion rocked her home in the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, shattering the windows and collapsing the ceiling with a boom louder than anything she had ever heard. Making her way to what was left of a window, she saw fire and destruction everywhere, she said.“I couldn’t find my kids, but I was sure they would be able to rescue them from underneath the rubble,” she said. That was not to be. It took 24 hours to identify the bodies of three of her four children: Yaakov, about to celebrate his 17th birthday that evening; Avigail, 15; and Sarah, 13.They were among nine people killed Sunday when an Iranian missile strike demolished a synagogue and homes in Beit Shemesh. Israel’s rescue services said 65 people were hospitalized in the attack, including two seriously wounded. It was the deadliest attack on Israel, where 11 people have died, since the war began Saturday with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. The conflict has escalated each day, affecting an additional 14 countries across the Middle East and beyond. At least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran and more than 100 in Lebanon. Tamar Biton, husband Yitzhak and their surviving daughter, 4-year-old Rachel, are observing the Jewish week of mourning in a Jerusalem hotel where they were placed after their house was destroyed. Neighbors and friends grieve togetherFor hours on end, as neighbors, friends and strangers gathered around, stories poured from Tamar about her three children. Yaakov, a natural-born leader and orator, studied at the Jewish seminary her husband ran and was known for bringing friends closer to Jewish observance. Avigail was smart, sensitive and thoughtful, and Sarah was a whirlwind of activity always helping around the house and the community.As Tamar spoke, she lit up, remembering details of each of the children she had buried Monday in a late-night funeral at Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives cemetery, one of the holiest places Jews can be buried. But when Tamar stopped speaking, she seemed to collapse in on herself, remembering what had happened. Yitzhak Biton had taught a class in Jewish texts that deadly morning; his son had attended along with his best friend, 16-year-old Gavriel Ravach. Both were killed in the missile attack. Other families also lost multiple members, including volunteer paramedic Ronit Elimelech, 45, and her mother, Sara Elimelech. Penina Cohen lost her husband, Yosef, and mother-in-law, Buria, in the attack. Her son was supposed to have celebrated his bar mitzvah, the Jewish coming of age ceremony, on Monday. Instead, he buried his father and grandmother, Cohen told Israeli President Isaac Herzog when he visited her at the hospital. Survivors recount what happenedWhen the alarms blared to warn of an incoming missile attack Sunday afternoon, Yitzhak Biton said he decided to stay in the house, but Yaakov, Avigail and Sarah went toward the shelter under the synagogue, following Israel’s guidelines for civilians. While Yaakov was found inside the shelter, it’s unclear whether Avigail and Sarah were able to make it in time, Tamar Biton said. The impact flattened the synagogue over the shelter and homes on several surrounding streets.As hope for her children’s survival dimmed, Tamar Biton changed her prayers.“I said to my husband, ‘Please let something be left of them — or do you think it’s just ash and that’s why they can’t identify them?’” she said Thursday.Yitzhak said he tried to search for his children, despite terror at what he might find. “They started taking out bodies, and I kept saying, ‘Where are my children? Where are my children?’ When they came and asked for a DNA sample, I knew the answer,” he said.Both parents continue to cling to their faith, telling visitors who came to pay condolences of Yaakov’s sincerity in swearing off any kind of digital devices considered forbidden by observant Jews and their daughters’ acts of kindness.Yitzhak Biton says he hopes to open a Jewish seminary in honor of his children, aimed at encouraging unity among Israel’s youth and countering issues driving the country apart, such as baseless hatred and negativity. “They sanctified God’s name with their life, and also after their death, they continue sanctifying his name,” Yitzhak said, a tear rolling down his cheek.Tamar Biton said she has been able to maintain her faith because she works to cultivate it every day. “Faith isn’t built in a day,” she said. “Faith is a gift from God, and faith is what gives you the ability to stand in front of these challenges, these experiences, in front of these waves.”

Thousands of civilians have been killed across the Middle East since the United States and Israel launched a surprise attack against Iran on Feb. 28. An exact number has been difficult to ascertain due to restricted access to affected areas, but figures compiled from government statements, health ministries, and human rights reports indicated that at least 2,100 civilians have died as a result of the war—the vast majority by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes. In Iran, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has documented 1,701 civilian deaths, as part of a broader total of more than 3,400 people killed since the start of the conflict.Across Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said that the death toll from Israeli strikes has risen to 2,496 people since March 2. It did not provide a complete breakdown between civilians and Hezbollah fighters, but said that nearly a quarter of those killed were women, children and medics, underscoring the heavy civilian toll from the fighting.Among the totals across the region are at least 503 women: 251 in Iran, 248 in Lebanon, and four in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, who died from Iranian missile fire, according to rights groups and health authorities.At least 413 children have been killed in the Iran war, including 248 in Iran and 165 in Lebanon, with no confirmed child fatalities reported in other affected countries.Nine journalists have also been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since fighting escalated in early March. Medical workers and aid groups have described overwhelmed hospitals in Beirut and other cities, where mass casualty surges have strained emergency rooms and depleted medical supplies during repeated waves of airstrikes. Iranian missile and drone fire has also killed dozens of civilians across the region. Some 23 people were killed in Israel by Iran and Hezbollah strikes, according to Israel's ambulance service. At least 10 have been killed in the United Arab Emirates, among them several migrant workers. Numerous deaths due to Iranian fire have been reported across other Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain. Overall, hostilities have eased after Iran and the United States agreed to a two-week cease-fire on April 8, but the casualty figures continue to rise as authorities and aid groups update their counts across the region.Here is what we know about just a few of the civilians killed during this conflict. Hassan Badawi, 31, a paramedic in southern LebanonHassan Badawi, a Lebanese Red Cross paramedic, was killed in an Israeli strike on Sunday, April 12, in the town of Beit Yahoun in southern Lebanon. Badawi, who had been working with the Red Cross since 2012, was reportedly carrying a patient out of an ambulance on a stretcher when an Israeli strike injured him. The father of two later died from his wounds.He was one of 91 health workers killed since the start of Israel's deadly bombardment and invasion of Lebanon.“Hassan carried out his humanitarian duty,” his father, Ali Badawi, told Al Jazeera. “In every war, he used to be among the first to go, but at a cost,” his mother, Ahlam Badawi, added. “This time, God took him from me.”Al Jazeera reported that Badawi called his wife on the eve of his death, telling her that bombing was “everywhere,” but that he could not leave the wounded behind.When asked about Badawi’s death, the Israeli military told reporters that it had targeted “a Hezbollah terrorist who operated adjacent to IDF soldiers in the Bint Jbeil area in southern Lebanon. Reports were received regarding a Red Cross team injured in the strike.”Raha Zerai, 7, a schoolgirl in Minab, IranRaha Zerai was among the 165 people killed when a suspected U.S. air strike hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, in Iran’s Hormozgan province, in the opening barrage of the war on Feb. 28. She was found in the rubble by her father, Reza Zerai, 47, in the minutes after the attack. “She was silly, full of energy, always laughing, singing, making up little poems,” Bastami, Raha’s aunt, told Foreign Policy. “Together we were always up to mischief. She loved school, and especially her teacher, and she kept telling us she wanted to study to become a dentist.”She had thick curly hair and a contagious laugh, according to relatives interviewed by Foreign Policy. Her room was decorated with Hello Kitty wallpaper and she carried a unicorn-patterned backpack.Several young gymnasts were also among the dead, according to Iran’s Gymnastics Federation and state media, including Reza Habashi, 7, Arina Arab-Kish, Atena Ahmadzadeh, Makan Nasiri, and Araz Ahmadi-Zadeh. According to Human Rights Watch, the school was on the interior border of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Naval Forces compound, but the school is walled off and in a separate compound.Shiva Amelirad, the international representative of the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, told TIME that the school was announced as closed when the war began, “but the time between the announcement of the school’s closure and the moment of the explosion was very short, and many families had not yet arrived to pick up their children.”“The principals and teachers stayed to get the children out. Most of them were killed,” Amelirad said. Saleh Ahmed, 55, a migrant worker in the UAEJust one month into the war, Human Rights Watch warned that migrant workers in Gulf countries face “additional risks” to their lives because of the conflict. Drivers, delivery workers, security guards, chefs, and cleaners have been required to continue working despite not being able to afford basic necessities and amid heightened risks.The majority of civilian deaths across the Gulf during the war have been migrant workers. Among them is Saleh Ahmed, a Bangladeshi national, who was killed in Ajman, UAE, on the first day of war by debris that fell from an intercepted Iranian missile, according to the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry. He was delivering water when he was struck. Ahmed was the sole breadwinner of his household and a hardworking man, his son Abdul Haque told Sky News in early March, just days after his father’s death. He had been living in the UAE for 25 years, sending his earnings home to his wife and four children in Bangladesh every week.“At the beginning, my father really struggled and did a lot of different work…he washed cars, cut grass, he did everything,” he said. “And for the last seven or eight years, he had a good position at the water company. He did a good job; it was in the service of people, delivering drinking water to people.”Ghada Dayekh, 59, a journalist in Tyre, LebanonRadio journalist Ghada Dayekh was killed on April 8 by an Israeli airstrike that hit her apartment building in Tyre, a city in southern Lebanon, completely destroying it. Dayekh worked for the privately owned radio station Sawt al-Farah since it began in the 1980s, the station said in a tribute to her, and she had been on air for 37 years. She hosted a morning show that discussed current events, sports and culture happening in Tyre, where she lived. She had been working from home since the radio station’s headquarters had been destroyed at the beginning of the conflict. Alwan Charafeddine, owner and director of the station, said she was “full of life and loved to joke,” according to local news outlet L’Orient Le Jour.  At least nine journalists have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since fighting escalated in early March. On April 22, Amal Khalil, a reporter with the daily Al-Akhbar newspaper, was killed in an Israeli airstrike after being targeted numerous times over several hours, and despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that a drone strike initially hit a car she was traveling behind with a colleague, forcing them to take cover in a nearby building. Rescue workers tried to reach her for several hours but were fired upon by Israeli forces, the ministry said.  Zeinab Faraj, a photographer who was accompanying Khalil and barely survived the strikes, told the UAE-based The National newspaper that they were stuck for hours in the building, whole severely injured from the first strike: “I saw Amal like that, burning, telling me, 'Zeinab, I’m burning,'" Ms Faraj said. “She told me: ‘Don’t fall asleep, don’t leave me’”. A separate airstrike then hit the building in al-Tiri where she was taking shelter, and her body was found hours later beneath the rubble.Israel denied that it prevented rescue workers from reaching the scene, or that it deliberately targeted civilians, and said the incident was under review. But Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun said after Khalil’s death that Israel “aimed at concealing the truth of its aggressive acts against Lebanon.”Three of the journalists were killed on March 28 when an Israeli airstrike hit a clearly marked press vehicle traveling near the southern town of Jezzine, according to witnesses and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).Those killed included Ali Shoaib, a correspondent for Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV, Fatima Ftouni of Al-Mayadeen TV, and her brother Mohamad Ftouni, a freelance photojournalist. The Israeli military acknowledged carrying out the strike that killed the journalists, claiming that Shoaib and "Mohammad Fatouni" [sic] were members of Hezbollah’s military wing.  "For many years, Shaib [sic] operated to aid Hezbollah in various ways while working as a journalist, and in 2020, he officially joined Hezbollah’s military wing," an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson told TIME. "The IDF takes all operationally feasible measures to mitigate harm to civilians, including journalists. The IDF has never, and will never, deliberately target journalists as such," the spokesperson added.  It provided no evidence to support its claims that Shoaib and Ftouni were Hezbollah combatants. Two other journalists were killed earlier in the month, including Mohammad Sherri in a strike in central Beirut on March 18, and Hussain Hamood, who was killed while filming in the southern city of Nabatieh on March 25. Helma Ahmadizadeh, 10, a volleyball player in Lamerd, Iran Helma Ahmadizadeh, 10, was killed in a strike that hit a sports facility in the town of Lamerd while it was being used by a women’s volleyball team, killing at least 21 people.Her death, along with at least four other children killed in the attack, was first reported by Negin Bagheri, an Iranian journalist and women’s rights activist based in Tehran.Bagheri interviewed Helma’s uncle, who said that she survived the initial explosion and walked into the ambulance herself, telling her coach, "It feels like something went into my body." Helma later died in the hospital due to a piece of shrapnel that pierced her heart. She was killed alongside her friend Elaheh, who was in the grade above her, and who also played volleyball.U.S. Central Command released a statement, claiming that Iran may have been responsible for the strike in Lamerd, adding that “U.S. forces do not target civilians, unlike the Iranian regime, which has attacked civilian locations in neighboring countries more than 300 times.”However, both the BBC and the New York Times have reported on evidence that the missile used was a Precision Strike Missile manufactured by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. military.Yaakov Briton, 16, Avigail, 15, and Sarah, 13, siblings in Beit Shemesh, Israel. Nine people were killed and 65 were hospitalized when an Iranian missile struck in the city of Beit Shemesh on March 1, destroying a synagogue and several homes. It was the deadliest attack against Israel since the war began. Among the victims were three children from the same family. Yaakov Briton, 16, Avigail, 15, and Sarah, 13, were all killed near the bomb shelter beneath a synagogue they had gone to seek refuge in. It took their mother, Tamar Biton, 24 hours to identify their bodies. She survived along with her husband and one other child,  four-year-old Rachel.  Tamar said Yaakov was a natural-born leader in an interview with the Associated Press. He studied at a Jewish seminary and was known for encouraging his friends to be more observant. Avigail was smart and thoughtful, she told the AP, and Sarah was “always helping around the house.”  Yitzhak Biton, the children’s father, said he hopes to open a Jewish seminary in their honor. “They sanctified God’s name with their life, and also after their death, they continue sanctifying his name,” he told the AP.

At least eight people were killed in a direct missile strike on a residential building in Beit Shemesh on Sunday, officials said, as rescue operations continued at the scene amid extensive destruction.Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said 24 people were wounded in the strike, including two in critical condition and two in serious condition. One person was listed in moderate condition and 14 were lightly wounded. Among the critically injured was a 10-year-old girl. Several of the lightly wounded were children. Some individuals were initially reported unaccounted for as search and rescue efforts continued.6 View gallery Direct hit in Beit Shemesh (Photo: Gil Yohanan) MAKE ynetGlobal MY TRUSTED SOURCE 6 View gallery Direct hit by a missile launched from IranliveThe direct hit in Beit Shemesh (Video: Magen David Adom operational documentation, from social media, used in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright Law)There is immense destruction at the scene in Beit Shemesh, and eight houses were damaged and almost completely destroyed. Some of the dead were in a synagogue shelter, which, according to testimonies from the scene, took the direct hit.Earlier, hospital officials at Hadassah Medical Center said they were preparing for a mass casualty incident following reports of three people in critical condition at the scene.The Home Front Command said residents in southern Israel and communities near the Gaza border could leave protected spaces but should remain nearby. Similar instructions were later issued for central Israel.In Ashkelon, the municipality reported that two interceptor fragments were located in the city following the latest sirens. No injuries or damage were reported, and residents were urged to continue following Home Front Command instructions.Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen television reported additional explosions in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Manama. There was no immediate official confirmation from authorities in those locations.Police said they had received reports of impacts at multiple sites nationwide. In the Sharon region, a man in his 50s was moderately wounded by shrapnel. Reports were also received of damage to a building near Jerusalem.Air raid sirens sounded for nearly 15 consecutive minutes across wide areas of the country, from Nahariya in the north to south of Ashdod. Alerts were activated in Tel Aviv, Bat Yam and other communities in central Israel, as well as in Jerusalem, Ashdod, Beersheba, the western Negev, the Jordan Valley, the Galilee, the Golan Heights and the Haifa area.The Home Front Command said residents in central Israel, the Shephelah, Lachish and Samaria could leave protected spaces but must remain nearby. In some areas of Jerusalem, residents were instructed to remain inside shelters until further notice.Earlier, the military said launches from Iran had been identified toward central Israel, with additional alerts expected in the north, including the Haifa area, the Galilee and the Golan.Footage showed drivers stopping inside the La Guardia interchange tunnel in central Israel to seek cover during the sustained sirens.6 View gallery Vehicles stopped to seek shelter while driving in the Tel Aviv area (Photo: Assaf Kamar)6 View gallery (Photo: Assaf Kamar)The Home Front Command also reported a suspected drone infiltration in the Jerusalem and Dead Sea areas. After a pursuit lasting more than 10 minutes, the military said the drone was intercepted and the incident concluded.The IDF said the Air Force struck two Iranian fighter jets — an F-5 and an F-4 — that were prepared for takeoff at an airport in Tabriz in western Iran. The strike was intended to disrupt the Iranian Air Force’s operations and deepen the damage to the regime’s air defense systems, the military said.6 View gallery Interception in the skies over northern Israel (Photo: Eitan Glickman)6 View gallery Alarm zone map (Photo: Tzofar)Police said that on Saturday, officers and bomb disposal experts located the warhead of an Iranian missile that struck an open area just a few hundred meters from holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City. The device was neutralized and transferred for further examination.Meanwhile, a medic from the Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue Brigade described the fatal strike in Tel Aviv a day earlier as a difficult scene, saying rescue teams worked to free two trapped women from the upper floor of a damaged building. One elderly woman was evacuated in stable condition, but her caregiver, who had been trapped under heavier debris, lost vital signs during evacuation and was pronounced dead.

At least nine people were killed and 51 wounded Sunday when an Iranian missile made a direct hit on a residential shelter in Beit Shemesh, marking the deadliest single incident since the start of Operation Roaring Lion. Police said 11 people are currently listed as unaccounted for at the scene, as search and rescue teams continue combing through the rubble to rule out additional victims. According to emergency officials, four of those killed were likely inside the shelter when its roof collapsed. Others were in adjacent homes. Of the wounded, two are in serious condition and four in moderate condition, with the remainder lightly injured. Many of the injured were evacuated to hospitals in Jerusalem and central Israel. The blast and shockwave almost completely destroyed eight homes in the residential compound. Magen David Adom said the wounded were taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem, Hadassah Mount Scopus, Shaare Zedek and Shamir Assaf Harofeh hospitals. Hadassah Medical Center Director Yoram Weiss said 16 lightly wounded patients were admitted to Hadassah Mount Scopus, while 13 were taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem, including three children. One adult woman was listed in serious but stable condition.

Shilo Freid|10:39PrintFind an error? Report usA day after the tragedy in Beit Shemesh, it was cleared for publication that Yosef and Beluria Cohen were killed yesterday in the Iranian missile strike. Their funeral will be held at 3:00 p.m. at the Derech HaChaim Cemetery in Beit Shemesh.CommentsThe commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the terms of use, including incitement, libel and expressions that exceed the accepted norms of freedom of speech.

Two additional victims of the Iranian missile attack on Beit Shemesh were identified on Monday as Bruria (Gloria) Cohen, H’yd, and her son, Yossi Cohen, H’yd. Their levayos are scheduled to take place in Beit Shemesh at 3 p.m. A heartbreaking detail of the tragic incident is that Yossi’s son’s 13th birthday is on Taanis Esther, which means that he will be attending his father’s levaya on his birthday. In addition, the attack happened on the birthday of Yossi’s almanah, Penina Cohen, who was injured in the attack along with her three-year-old child, who is currently hospitalized in Shaare Tzedek Hospital. Penina spoke to Arutz Sheva during a visit by President Isaac Herzog to Hadassah Hospital. “I simply experienced a neis,” she said. “I was under the hole (in the roof). It should have fallen on me. I had shemirah that my children and I emerged alive, Baruch Hashem. I received my life as a gift. It happened on my birthday.” Penina Cohen speaks to the Herzogs. (Screenshot/Arutz Sheva) Earlier, four victims were named: Ronit Elimelech, H’yd, and her mother, Sara Elimelech, H’yd, Oren Katz, H’yd, and Gavriel Baruch Ravach, H’yd, 16. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

GeoConfirmed Iran. Major Iranian strike on Beit Shemesh has killed at least 9 people, injured dozens more. 31.747731, 34.981337 PXXJ+3GW Bet Shemesh, Israel GeoLocated by @Stinky915846091 and @malachybrowne Geolocation: https://x.com/Stinky915846091/status/2028152678635671927… Location: https://geoconfirmed.org/iran/4c7333c4-a31f-4cec-9b7f-08de77060c79… Sources: Vid1 https://x.com/ThomasVLinge/status/2028114186866237770… Vid2 https://x.com/visegrad24/status/2028087854505541899… Pic https://x.com/manniefabian/status/2028089443777671565… Visit our map: https://geoconfirmed.org/iran

—❗️🇮🇱/🇮🇷 NEW: An impact in Beit Shemesh@Middle_East_Spectator

On March 2, 2026, President Isaac Herzog visited the site of the Iranian missile attack in the town of Bet Shemesh yesterday, where nine people were killed. The President was briefed by the Mayor of Bet Shemesh, Shmuel Greenberg, and emergency services personnel at the scene. 02/03/2026 הקישור הועתק Share President Herzog: “I recommend to any proxy not to even dare think that they will start another war with us. We will not accept any more, and we won’t let them amass their forces on our borders” On March 2, 2026, President Isaac Herzog visited the site of the Iranian missile attack in the town of Bet Shemesh yesterday, where nine people were killed. The President was briefed by the Mayor of Bet Shemesh, Shmuel Greenberg, and emergency services personnel at the scene. President Herzog’s remarks to the media at the site: “We are here at a scene of havoc and terror. “This is one of the first synagogues in Bet Shemesh. The missile totally annihilated the synagogue and entered into the shelter because it was a direct hit with a half-a-ton missile. Children were murdered here. Nine innocent souls were lost.
“All night, the teams of the mayor were gathering their remains and pieces. We pray for the victims, and we pray with the families, and we hope that they will find comfort. “We are in the middle of a very important stage in history. This stage will determine the direction of the Middle East. There is a unique opportunity to change the trajectory. Rather than endless terror and havoc created by the empire of evil from Tehran, there will be change that will offer hope and peace to a coalition of nations, which has emerged above ground and is fighting against the empire of evil. “I recommend to any proxy not to even dare think that they will start another war with us. We will not accept any more, and we won’t let them amass their forces on our border. “In front of it, there is an entire coalition of nations, which wants to seek peace and change in the Middle East, which wants to go together, which consists of Jew and Muslim and Christian. I sincerely hope that this operation will move forward so that there will be real change. “We call upon the Iranian people. This is your opportunity, at the given moment, to rise up and bring change in the region so that we can all live in peace. “I will conclude with the incredible pictures that I saw in the streets of London yesterday. Iranians and Israelis, shedding tears together, hugging together, and saying, we want peace. And for this, sometimes you need to fight. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Shilo Freid|03.02.26 | 14:23PrintFind an error? Report usIt has been cleared for publication that siblings Yaakov (16), Avigail (15) and Sarah (13) Biton were killed in the Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh.CommentsThe commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the terms of use, including incitement, libel and expressions that exceed the accepted norms of freedom of speech.

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 Possible impact in Tel Aviv@wfwitness

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 Possible impact in Tel Aviv @wfwitness

Direct hit to Gush Dan

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 A school in central Israel was hit. The school was empty at the time of the strike. @wfwitness

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 Apparently interception debris fell on the school roof in central israel. @wfwitness

Image from the school reportedly

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 Footage of impact in Beit Shemesh A 10 year old girl is reported to be critically injured @wfwitness

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 More than ten injuries are reported in several scenes, with reports of thirty ambulances being dispatched to the scene. @wfwitness

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 Another footage from Beit Shemesh. Reports of building collapse. Firefighters have been called out. @wfwitness

The scene was declared a mass casualty incident. @wfwitness

🇮🇱🇮🇷 Footage from on the scene in beit shemesh @wfwitness

Additional Footage from on the scene in beit shemesh @wfwitness

Footage showcasing moment of impact in Beit Shemesh

3 critically injured so far

20 total 3 critical

Additional footage from beit shemesh Israeli media reports that sirens were not activated during the attack

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 Additional footage from beit shemesh Israeli media reports that sirens were not activated during the attack @wfwitness

More footage from Beit Shemesh There are 4 critically injured as of this moment.

Beit Shemesh

Beit Shemesh

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 Beit Shemesh

Another angle of the missile impact in Beit Shemesh, Jerusalem 3 people are reportedly dead following the attack

GRAPHIC: 3 confirmed dead in the missile impact targeting Beit Shemesh

Footage from Beit Shemesh. 4 people are confirmed dead.

5 civilians confirmed dead in the impact in Beit Shemesh, central Israel.

View of the impact site in Beit Shemesh, Jerusalem

The Israel Police Spokesperson stated that a direct missile strike on a building in the city of Beit Shemesh caused severe damage and the collapse of the structure, which was occupied by civilians. Rescue services have so far evacuated approximately 18 wounded individuals in varying conditions. Medical teams have declared the deaths of five people. Jerusalem District Commander Avshalom Peled is at the scene conducting a special situational assessment with all emergency and rescue services.

Death toll has risen to 6

A local resident from Beit Shemesh stated: "It fell on a neighborhood shelter; the entire public shelter was destroyed. Everything here is damaged. They said there were no warnings, but there were; after all, everyone entered the shelter. An entire street was hit here; eight houses were lost."

Some Search and Rescue Footage from Beit Shemesh

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 8 confirmed dead in the attack on Beit Shemesh.@wfwitness

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 Note: Event is still ongoing. @wfwitness

Death toll has risen to 9

Death toll has risen to 9

Israeli Paramedic Yehuda Shlome, one of the first to arrive at the scene of a direct missile strike in Beit Shemesh, described hearing a loud explosion and seeing severe destruction, smoke and panic. "I noticed a woman, about 30, approaching me very agitated with significant limb injuries. I calmed her down and began providing initial treatment on site. Within minutes, additional MDA teams arrived, and I evacuated her to hospital in serious but stable condition." Another MDA medic, Tzvi David, said: "When we arrived, we saw houses with extensive damage, collapsed trees and all the windows in the area shattered. A woman in her 60s was trapped under a piece of concrete and called for help. Together with other MDA volunteers, we lifted the piece and extricated her to a mobile intensive care unit. Later, civilians signalled to us that three children were trapped in a closed room. Together with firefighting forces, we rescued them and provided medical treatment." The children were evacuated in mild condition.

Following the severe incident in Beit Shemesh, ZAKA spokesperson Yehoshua Gottlieb reported that medics were forced to declare the deaths of nine people. Approximately 40 injured individuals have been evacuated to Jerusalem hospitals, including two in serious condition, two in moderate condition and the rest in mild condition.

Images from the impact on Beit Shemesh

⚡️🇮🇷🇮🇱 Aerial footage shows heavy damage at the impact site of the Iranian ballistic missile strike in Beit Shemesh, with nearby buildings visibly damaged.@wfwitness

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued his first reaction to the elimination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stating: "Yesterday we eliminated Khamenei, the arch‑terrorist, along with dozens of the regime's senior officials. Our forces are now operating in the heart of Tehran, with growing intensity, and this will only increase in the coming days." Netanyahu acknowledged the cost, saying: "These are painful days. Yesterday here in Tel Aviv, and now in Beit Shemesh, we have lost dear people." He offered condolences to the families and sent wishes for recovery to the wounded. The prime minister highlighted the unprecedented power brought to the campaign, combined with US support, stating: "This combination allows us to do what I have aspired to do for 40 years—to topple the terrorist regime that rises against us. This is what I promised, and this is what we will do."

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 Following the severe incident in Beit Shemesh, ZAKA spokesperson Yehoshua Gottlieb reported that medics were forced to declare the deaths of nine people. Approximately 40 injured individuals have been evacuated to Jerusalem hospitals, including two…

⚡️🇮🇱🇮🇷 Search and rescue operations are still ongoing in Beit Shemesh after the Iranian missile impact earlier today.@wfwitness

A missile strike by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s authorities on the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh that killed nine civilians – including four teenagers – must be investigated as a war crime, Amnesty International said in a new investigation. Strike on Ramat Lehi neighbourhood destroyed Tiferet Israel synagogue New investigation shows no military objective in vicinity of strike “The weapon used in the strike is wildly inaccurate” – Erika Guevara-Rosas The strike, just before 2pm local time on 1 March on the Ramat Lehi neighbourhood, destroyed the Tiferet Israel synagogue and caused extensive damage to the bomb shelter beneath it. An estimated 46 people were also injured. Amnesty International analyzed verified digital evidence posted on social media, along with photos and videos the organization collected from the site of the strike, and found that an Iranian ballistic missile was used in the attack. “The weapon used in Iran’s strike on the Ramat Lehi neighborhood in Israel is wildly inaccurate and carries a massive warhead, making it completely inappropriate for use in densely populated civilian areas,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns. Amnesty International’s research found no evidence of the presence of legitimate military objectives in the immediate vicinity of the attack. The nearest military objective to the site of the strike appears to be an Israeli military base near the town of Sdot Micha, which is located approximately 3.5km to the west of the impact site. “This attack destroyed a synagogue and a bomb shelter – two places that should have been areas of refuge and safety for civilians. Nine civilians were killed, including four children. The strike must be investigated as a war crime,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas. “The Iranian authorities’ use of a ballistic missile in this attack renders it indiscriminate and therefore a violation of international humanitarian law. Launching an indiscriminate attack that causes civilian deaths, injuries or damage to civilian objects constitutes a war crime. There must be an independent and impartial investigation, and anyone for whom there is sufficient evidence of responsibility must be prosecuted in a fair trial.” Amnesty International verified social media footage showing the munition falling in the city of Beit Shemesh. The trajectory of the munition and the extent of the damage at the scene of the strike are consistent with the use of a ballistic missile carrying a large warhead, rather than a cruise missile or smaller drone-delivered munition. Images from the aftermath show the razed synagogue, along with widespread damage across an approximate 500-metre radius. Israeli media outlets reported that the warhead used was approximately 500 kg. Amnesty International has not been able to confirm the payload of the weapon. A 2024 analysis of the accuracy of Iranian ballistic missiles found they routinely missed their target by at least half-a-kilometre. Between 16 March and 19 March, Amnesty International interviewed four survivors of the attack, and a rescue worker who arrived soon after the strike. The organization also analyzed satellite imagery of the site before and after the attack to corroborate the scale of destruction. “We are all in despair. We are broken” Nine civilians were killed as a result of the strike: siblings Sara Biton, aged 13, Avigail Biton, 15, and Yaakov Biton, 17; Gabriel Revah, 16; Oren Katz, 46; Sara Elimelech, 67, and her daughter, Ronit Elimelech, 45; and Bruria Cohen, 76, and her son, Yossi Cohen, 41. Rabbi Yitzak Biton lost three of his children in the attack. On the morning of the attack, he gave a lesson to Torah students. His two daughters, Sara and Avigail, convinced his son Yaakov to go to the nearby bomb shelter with them, while he, his wife Tamar, and his four-year-old daughter Rachel stayed at their house, located one block from the synagogue. He told Amnesty International: “The ceiling and the roof [of their house] collapsed… I looked through the window, and I saw the area where the synagogue was. It was on fire, and there was very black smoke in the sky. I was afraid to go… After I worked up the courage to go, I saw the synagogue was completely destroyed, and the [bomb] shelter was split open. The shelter wasn’t safe. It did not provide protection. “I lost not one, not two, but three children… One day, out of the blue, half of the family is gone.” Sarah Fanny Amar, 53, was in the bomb shelter when the strike hit the synagogue. She told Amnesty International: “There was a big boom… I was hanging from metal, and metal was on top of me. Before the boom I was sitting, so the shockwave had thrown me. Around me everything was black and dust… The ceiling collapsed on top of me… I started walking, but I could barely see anything, and I was feeling my way with my hands. I was walking on top of ruins and people… Outside, there was fire… Cars were burning… I got to the grass, and that’s where I collapsed. I opened my eyes in an ambulance. “With these bombs, you’re left with no desire to live, to sleep, to eat… I can’t live like this… Even in the shelter you are not safe… I knew everyone who was killed.” Nissim Edery, 71, was sitting with his neighbour about 100m from the site of the attack. He told Amnesty International: “At the moment of the explosion, I was thrown 4-5m from the shockwave… I realized it was a missile that hit our area… I walked toward the explosion, and there was a huge fire and smoke… It was unbelievable to see what destruction this missile made. “I know three of the victims, a brother and his two sisters. It tore my heart… We are all in despair. We are broken.” Reuven Harow, 56, is a senior medic for the emergency medical service Magen David Adom. He arrived at the site around 10 minutes after the attack. He told Amnesty International: “People were coming out all bloodied and bruised… No one knew where the missile strike was – there was damage everywhere… “Bodies were blown apart… There were body parts lying around for hours after. The focus was on saving anyone who was alive… The people who were giving treatment at the scene – they were treating family and family friends they had known for years. Everyone knows everyone here… What I kept saying over and over is ‘This isn’t real’… It looked like I was watching a movie.” Background to the conflict On 28 February, the US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran, with thousands of strikes across the country since. The Iranian authorities have launched retaliatory attacks across the region. The armed conflict rapidly expanded into regional hostilities across the Middle East and has resulted in significant loss of civilian life and destruction of civilian infrastructure. Israel has also escalated its attacks on Lebanon in response to Hezbollah’s attacks. According to various media sources, Iranian forces have used cluster munitions in multiple attacks in Israel since 28 February, including on 18 March, in an attack near Tel Aviv that killed two civilians. Cluster munitions are inherently indiscriminate weapons, and their use is prohibited by international humanitarian law. Last year, Amnesty International documented how Iranian forces’ use of cluster munitions in the ‘12 Day War’ with Israel violated international humanitarian law. As of 27 March, according to reports, as a result of Israeli and US attacks, at least 1,900 people, including at least 100 Minab schoolchildren, have been killed in Iran; more than 1,116 in Lebanon. Iranian attacks have thus far killed at least 16 civilians in Israel and four in the occupied West Bank; and at least 23 killed across other Gulf Cooperation Council countries in the region.

More footage of the direct Iranian missile impact in Beit Shemesh, near occupied Al Quds.

Tamar Biton was in the kitchen when an explosion rocked her home in the central city of Beit Shemesh on Sunday, shattering the windows and collapsing the ceiling with a boom louder than anything she had ever heard. Making her way to what was left of a window, she saw fire and destruction everywhere, she said. “I couldn’t find my kids, but I was sure they would be able to rescue them from underneath the rubble,” she said. That was not to be. It took 24 hours to identify the bodies of three of her four children: Yaakov, about to celebrate his 17th birthday that evening; Avigail, 15; and Sarah, 13. They were among nine people killed Sunday when an Iranian missile strike demolished a synagogue and several homes in Beit Shemesh. Israel’s rescue services said 65 people were hospitalized in the attack, including two seriously wounded. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms Tamar Biton, her husband Yitzhak, and their surviving daughter, 4-year-old Rachel, are observing the shiva, the seven days of mourning in the Jewish tradition, at a Jerusalem hotel where they were placed after their house was destroyed. For hours on end, as neighbors, friends and strangers gathered around, stories poured from Tamar about her three children. Yaakov, a natural-born leader and orator, studied at the yeshiva that her husband ran, and was known for bringing friends closer to Jewish observance. Avigail was smart, sensitive and thoughtful, and Sarah was a whirlwind of activity always helping around the house and the community. As Tamar spoke, she lit up, remembering details of each of the children she had buried Monday in a late-night funeral at Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives cemetery, one of the holiest places Jews can be buried. But when Tamar stopped speaking, she seemed to collapse in on herself, remembering what had happened. Yitzhak Biton, a rabbi, had taught a class in Jewish texts that deadly morning at the Jewish seminary he runs; his son had attended along with his best friend, 16-year-old Gavriel Ravach. Both were killed in the missile attack. Other families also lost multiple members, including volunteer paramedic Ronit Elimelech, 45, and her mother, Sara Elimelech. Penina Cohen lost her husband, Yosef, and mother-in-law, Bruria, in the attack. Her son was supposed to have celebrated his bar mitzvah, the Jewish coming of age ceremony, on Monday. Instead, he buried his father and grandmother, Cohen told President Isaac Herzog when he visited her at the hospital. When the alarms blared to warn of an incoming missile attack Sunday afternoon, Yitzhak Biton said he decided to stay in the house, but Yaakov, Avigail and Sarah went toward the shelter under the synagogue, following Israel’s guidelines for civilians. While Yaakov was found inside the shelter, it’s unclear whether Avigail and Sarah were able to make it in time, Tamar Biton said. The impact flattened the synagogue over the shelter and homes on several surrounding streets. As hope for her children’s survival dimmed, Tamar Biton changed her prayers. “I said to my husband, ‘Please let something be left of them — or do you think it’s just ash and that’s why they can’t identify them?’” she said Thursday. Yitzhak said he tried to search for his children, despite terror at what he might find. “They started taking out bodies, and I kept saying, ‘Where are my children? Where are my children?’ When they came and asked for a DNA sample, I knew the answer,” he said. Both parents continue to cling to their faith, telling visitors who came to pay condolences of Yaakov’s sincerity in swearing off any form of digital devices considered forbidden by some ultra-Orthodox Jews and their daughters’ acts of kindness. Yitzhak Biton says he hopes to open a yeshiva in honor of his children, aimed at encouraging unity among Israel’s youth and countering issues driving the country apart, such as baseless hatred and negativity. “They sanctified God’s name with their life, and also after their death, they continue sanctifying his name,” Yitzhak said, a tear rolling down his cheek. Tamar Biton said she has been able to maintain her faith because she works to cultivate it every day. “Faith isn’t built in a day,” she said. “Faith is a gift from God, and faith is what gives you the ability to stand in front of these challenges, these experiences, in front of these waves.” The missile strike that hit Beit Shemesh was the deadliest Iranian attack on Israel since the US and Israel launched a bombing campaign in Iran on Saturday. Twelve people have died and more than a thousand have been wounded in Iran’s missile strikes on Israel since Saturday, according to health officials. The outbreak of the war followed a massive US military buildup in the region, and repeated threats by US President Donald Trump to strike Iran, first over its bloody crackdown on anti-regime protesters in January and more recently over its nuclear program. The conflict has escalated each day, with Iran striking over a dozen other countries in the Middle East, and Israel launching massive strikes in Lebanon after local Iranian proxy group Hezbollah earlier this week started launching rocket attacks on Israel for the first time since the November 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war. At least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran and more than 100 in Lebanon, according to local authorities. The slain include dozens of top Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as senior commanders in Iran-backed armed groups across the region.

IDF: Home Front Command search and rescue forces, together with numerous medical teams and a helicopter for casualty evacuation, are currently operating at the impact site in Beit Shemesh.The Commander of the Home Front Command is on his way to the scene.The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit clarifies that following a review, the early warning system functioned as planned and was activated in the Beit Shemesh area of impact.The circumstances of the impact are under review.

IDF: Following the recent announcement, attached are photos of the Commander of the Home Front Command at the impact site in Beit Shemesh: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC0103202698344398320

An investigation into the missile strike in Beit Shemesh has found that only two of the nine people killed were inside the shelter that took the direct hit.According to the investigation, which was published in Haaretz, around thirty residents were inside the shelter at the time of the impact, and most of them survived.The report states that one of the victims was standing at the entrance to the shelter, while six others were outside it when the missile struck. Dozens of people were injured by the force of the blast.A resident who was in the area told Haaretz that the explosion occurred during the siren, while another said it was heard even before the alert. The Home Front Command determined that the shelter met all required safety standards.The warhead of the missile that struck the shelter weighed more than 400 kilograms, one of the heaviest to hit Israel since the start of the current conflict.The nine people killed in the attack were Bruria Cohen (76) and her son Yossi Cohen (41), who were inside the shelter; Oren Katz (46), who was standing on the staircase leading to it; and Sarah Elimelech and her daughter Ronit Elimelech, Gabriel Revach (16), and siblings Yaakov (16), Avigail (15), and Sarah Biton (13), who were outside the shelter.

Current sectionIsrael NewsIsrael SecurityNine people were killed and 60 injured after a missile hit a public bomb shelter in central Israel. An initial IDF investigation has found that most of the people who were inside the shelter were not killed, and that some of the victims who died were not inside it at the time the missile hitShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeAn initial IDF investigation released on Monday has found that the bomb shelter that was hit by an Iranian missile on Sunday – resulting in the deaths of nine people – met official safety standards.Sixty people were injured after the missile hit a public bomb shelter at a synagogue in the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, in addition to the nine people killed.The nine victims killed in the strike have been named as Sara Elimelech, her daughter Ronit Elimelech, Yossi Cohen, his mother Bruria Cohen, Oren Katz, and Gabriel Baruch Revach. Three siblings were named Monday afternoon as the last three victims killed in the missile strike – 13-year-old Sarah Bitton, 15-year-old Avigail Bitton and 16-year-old Yaakov Bitton. The state of IsraelHaaretz daily briefing: News & analysisThe investigation found that most of the people who were inside the shelter were not killed, and that some of the victims who died were not inside it at the time the missile hit.Moreover, people who were situated inside reinforced safe rooms within a ten-meter radius surrounding the bomb shelter were not harmed, according to the investigation. The investigation has not yet determined whether the shelter's door was open when the missile impacted.The missile, which carried hundreds of kilograms of explosives, hit the building above the bomb shelter, which was situated one floor underground, according to the findings of the investigation.Meanwhile, defense officials say that Iran has begun launching fewer missile barrages, although they are broader in scope and coordinated among different commands across the country.Iran has launched nine missiles at a time toward Israel in some barrages, while firing 20 to 30 missiles in other barrages.Click the alert icon to follow topics:In the NewsTurkey Opposed Iran War but Now Eyeing How to Profit From ItTrump Unhappy With Iranian Proposal, U.S. Official SaysFor Israeli Parents, Family Time Shrinks as Quality of Life SlipsRats, Fleas and Endless Queues: Inside the Daily Misery of Gaza's Tent CampsNetanyahu's Double Disaster Gives Naftali Bennett HopeRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMI'Zionism Must Disappear. Israel Will Remain': An Interview With Omer BartovIsraeli Soldiers Testify to Looting in Lebanon: 'Commanders Know and Do Nothing'The Arab Israeli Engineer From Haifa Poised to Become One of Apple's Top LeadersThey're 15, Married With Children: Inside an Israeli Cult's Code of SilenceCould Israel Be the Only Country in the World Facing an 'Existential Threat'?Netanyahu Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer Without Informing Israeli Public

Current sectionIsrael NewsIsrael SecurityNine people were killed and 60 injured after a missile hit a public bomb shelter in central Israel. An initial IDF investigation has found that most of the people who were inside the shelter were not killed, and that some of the victims who died were not inside it at the time the missile hitShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeAn initial IDF investigation released on Monday has found that the bomb shelter that was hit by an Iranian missile on Sunday – resulting in the deaths of nine people – met official safety standards.Sixty people were injured after the missile hit a public bomb shelter at a synagogue in the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, in addition to the nine people killed.The nine victims killed in the strike have been named as Sara Elimelech, her daughter Ronit Elimelech, Yossi Cohen, his mother Bruria Cohen, Oren Katz, and Gabriel Baruch Revach. Three siblings were named Monday afternoon as the last three victims killed in the missile strike – 13-year-old Sarah Bitton, 15-year-old Avigail Bitton and 16-year-old Yaakov Bitton. The state of IsraelHaaretz daily briefing: News & analysisThe investigation found that most of the people who were inside the shelter were not killed, and that some of the victims who died were not inside it at the time the missile hit.Moreover, people who were situated inside reinforced safe rooms within a ten-meter radius surrounding the bomb shelter were not harmed, according to the investigation. The investigation has not yet determined whether the shelter's door was open when the missile impacted.The missile, which carried hundreds of kilograms of explosives, hit the building above the bomb shelter, which was situated one floor underground, according to the findings of the investigation.Meanwhile, defense officials say that Iran has begun launching fewer missile barrages, although they are broader in scope and coordinated among different commands across the country.Iran has launched nine missiles at a time toward Israel in some barrages, while firing 20 to 30 missiles in other barrages.Click the alert icon to follow topics:In the NewsTurkey Opposed Iran War but Now Eyeing How to Profit From ItTrump Unhappy With Iranian Proposal, U.S. Official SaysFor Israeli Parents, Family Time Shrinks as Quality of Life SlipsRats, Fleas and Endless Queues: Inside the Daily Misery of Gaza's Tent CampsNetanyahu's Double Disaster Gives Naftali Bennett HopeRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMI'Zionism Must Disappear. Israel Will Remain': An Interview With Omer BartovIsraeli Soldiers Testify to Looting in Lebanon: 'Commanders Know and Do Nothing'The Arab Israeli Engineer From Haifa Poised to Become One of Apple's Top LeadersThey're 15, Married With Children: Inside an Israeli Cult's Code of SilenceCould Israel Be the Only Country in the World Facing an 'Existential Threat'?Netanyahu Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer Without Informing Israeli Public

You have been granted access, use your keyboard to continue reading.The toll in Beit Shemesh was the highest in Israel since the start of the conflict with Iran on Saturday.March 1, 2026, 11:46 a.m. ETAt least nine people were killed in an Iranian military strike on Sunday on a residential district in Beit Shemesh, an Israeli city about 18 miles west of Jerusalem, the worst casualty toll in the country after two days of conflict with Iran.The Israeli military and the country’s ambulance service said an Iranian missile had caused the strike. It was not immediately clear what the target of the strike was, but the Israeli military accused Iran of aiming at civilians.Israel’s police chief, Danny Levy, said rescue workers were searching through the rubble and appealed for people to call a special help line to report the names of anyone they know who has not been accounted for. The attack occurred after Ali Larijani, Iran’s top national security official, wrote in a post on social media that Iran would hit Israel and the United States “with a force that they have never experienced,” in retaliation for the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader.Some of those killed in Beit Shemesh had been sheltering in a communal bunker, according to paramedics at the scene who were interviewed by Israeli media. In addition to the deaths, the ambulance service said that at least 28 people had been injured, and were evacuated to hospitals. Eyewitnesses described scenes of widespread destruction, horror and confusion. Streets in the area were dotted with burned, upturned cars and roofs were blown off buildings around the impact site. “I heard a huge explosion, and my wife was pushed forward by the blast,” said Liran Elimelh, 42, who lives nearby. A former volunteer first-responder, he said he rushed out to help.“Flames were blazing, homes were reduced to rubble, and I saw body parts scattered around,” he said.“If it had been just a few meters to the left or right, it could have been my family,” he added.Yehuda Shlomo, one of the first paramedics to arrive at the site, said in a statement, “When I arrived, I saw a terrible scene — heavy structural damage, smoke in the air, and a great deal of chaos, with dozens of frightened casualties emerging from the damaged buildings.”Photos and videos from the scene shared by rescue workers and independently verified by The Times showed severe damage to several buildings. The roofs and walls of buildings were damaged or collapsed by the strike, and fires were blazing in at least two locations. Emergency responders rushed a toddler covered in blood from the scene. A building that Google Maps described as a bomb shelter was destroyed by the strike, a Times analysis of videos and aerial images of aftermath shows. A video showed the ceiling of a structure collapsed on a row of chairs set against a wall. Other images showed emergency crews working to quench the fires and several body bags laid on the ground. The strike in Beit Shemesh followed a direct hit on a residential building in central Tel Aviv on Saturday night that killed a woman in her 50s, according to the Israeli authorities. The woman was a Filipino caregiver, according to Oren Marmorstein, the spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry. Isabel Kershner, a senior correspondent for The Times in Jerusalem, has been reporting on Israeli and Palestinian affairs since 1990.Natan Odenheimer is a Times reporter in Jerusalem, covering Israeli and Palestinian affairs.Related ContentTrending in The Times

Senior officials later said that the Israeli Air Force did not deploy an Arrow interceptor against the ballistic missile that struck a building in Beit Shemesh, killing nine people. They added that the probability of a successful interception by the Arrow system — considered to have one of the highest success rates in the world against ballistic threats — would have been significantly higher than that of the interceptor launched from another system. An IDF official said several interceptors were fired at the missile but failed to bring it down.The official stressed there is no policy to limit the use of interceptors and said Iran has so far launched fewer than half the number of missiles it fired during the first two days of previous Operation Rising Lion “The air defense array has achieved very high interception rates, but the defense is not hermetic,” the official said, adding that the incident remains under investigation. “A direct hit can penetrate. This underscores the need to address the surface-to-surface missile threat. It is a real existential threat.” MAKE ynetGlobal MY TRUSTED SOURCE The direct hit killed at least nine people and wounded 51, marking the deadliest single incident since the start of Operation Roaring Lion. Police said 11 people remain unaccounted for as search and rescue teams continue combing through the rubble.Officials said the strike underscores the severity of Iran’s surface-to-surface missile threat. “A direct hit can penetrate. This sharpens the urgent need to address the missile threat. It is a truly existential threat,” one security source said.The blast collapsed the roof of the shelter and nearly destroyed eight homes in the compound. Emergency crews, Home Front Command units and fire services continued working at the scene.On the broader campaign, security officials said Israel is expanding strikes against Iran’s Basij militia and what they described as the regime’s repression mechanisms.“We will strike all mechanisms of repression and the entire industry that feeds the Iranian regime with weapons,” officials said. “This is not a one-day or two-day operation. It will take time.”They compared the current campaign to June’s Operation Rising Lion, describing that effort as an emergency response, while the current operation is aimed at removing the threat more comprehensively.“The Iranian regime decided after the previous operation to return to a plan to destroy Israel and to rebuild its missile program. It fortified its nuclear program,” officials said. “That is why we entered an accelerated process of preparations to strike its capabilities more significantly.”Officials said that after an initial surprise strike, Israel moved rapidly to target Iranian fire arrays and achieved air superiority in less than 24 hours. Since the start of the operation, more than 2,000 munitions have been dropped, about half the total used during Operation Like a Lion, they said.Israel is coordinating closely with the United States, according to the officials. “Our scope of strikes is slightly broader, which creates congestion in the airspace, but we have mechanisms to manage it,” one official said, adding that U.S. forces are operating in southern sectors while Israel focuses on western areas. The Americans are using all available means, including B-2 bombers, officials said.The Israeli Air Force said it has intercepted more than 50 drones launched from Iran since the start of the operation. It also struck two Iranian fighter jets, an F-5 and an F-4, that were preparing for takeoff in Tabriz, western Iran.Security officials said Iran has adapted its tactics since the previous campaign, launching missiles from more distant locations and dispersing fire rather than relying on massive barrages.“For the defense system, this kind of drip-fire is more manageable, even if for the public it means repeated entries and exits from protected spaces,” an official said.They acknowledged that Iran still retains the ability to launch missiles, but urged continued public compliance with safety instructions. “With responsible behavior from civilians, we will be able to operate properly,” one official said.

The Beit Shemesh area in israeli occupied territories is hit by several Iranian missiles, leaving a large crater, one killed and 13 israelis injured

We want to remember those who fell in this war. Gavriel Baruch Revah, 16 years old, may his memory be a blessing, who tragically lost his life in a missile attack in Beit Shemesh on March 1, 2026. His family donated to the construction of the synagogue where he perished. This event has been described as one of the deadliest attacks in the region during the conflict. (Photo: Social Media)

Queremos recordar a los caídos en esta guerra. Gavriel Baruch Revah, 16 años , bendita sea su memoria, quien trágicamente perdió la vida en un ataque con misiles en Beit Shemesh el 1 de marzo de 2026. Su familia donó para la construcción de la sinagoga en la que pereció. Este evento ha sido descrito como uno de los ataques más mortíferos en la región durante el conflicto. (fotografía: social media)