A woman was killed and as many as 22 civilians injured after an alleged Iranian ballistic missile struck a residential building in Tel Aviv, Israel on February 28, 2026.
The victim, 32-year-old Mary Ann de Vera, who was originally from the Philippines and often went by the name “Michelle,” worked as a live-in caregiver for an elderly resident of the building.
Mary’s friend, Mhel Grace, remembered her as someone who was “more than a neighbour,” but “a friend” who exemplified “kindness [with a] brave, caring spirit.” Mhel would “forever cherish the quiet moments [they] spent together, gathering kalamansi and moringa leaves and the way she helped [Mary] soothe [Mhel’s] daughter to sleep.” Mary had reportedly been hoping to have a child of her own.
Mhel sent her condolences to Mary’s brother, Mac, and her husband, Ernie Lavarias: “There are no words for such a tragic and sudden loss. Your wife was a light to everyone who knew her, and that light will never be forgotten. I am holding you close in my thoughts and sending you all the strength I have.” Included with the post was a photograph of a smiling Mary, dressed in a red shirt.
On May 9, 2026, Mac uploaded a photograph of a tattoo he had gotten of Mary, writing that with this, they would “never be apart again.” Mac’s Facebook banner features a screenshot of a comment from Mary: “I love you bro until my last breath.”
Mary had gone into the hallway of her employer’s home, where she and Rachel – the woman Mary cared for – would typically shelter. She had been on a video call with Ernie when the explosion cut the connection. Rachel was distraught by Mary’s death, her daughter, Gabi, recalled. “My mom kept asking, ‘Where’s [Mary], where’s [Mary].’ [..] ‘At first I said she was in another hospital. I didn’t know what to say. When I finally told my mother, she received it with a kind of strange calm. Only later did it sink in. Since then it comes in waves – suddenly it floods back and we both cry. I believe it’s still a process.’ […] ‘I don’t have enough words to describe her.’ […] ‘The first time [Mary] met my mother, my mom said to her: Why did you come to this country? It’s a country of wars. Two months later, October 7 happened. She was with us for two and a half years, and from the first moment I couldn’t believe how lucky we were. She’s the best person I know. We became very close very quickly. I treated her like family. We are all in mourning.”
Ernie later identified Mary’s belongings once they were uncovered from the rubble.
Following the strike, Rachel was buried under a collapsed ceiling, but physically suffered only a scratch. According to her, “the ceiling was on top of me. I was inside a kind of pocket. At first I thought, this can’t be happening, but there was a crack and I saw that there was air. Through it I could even see my wardrobe.” Rachel recalled a shared love of stories she and Mary shared: “We had imaginary comic characters, as if we were living inside literature. She entered the world of my books.”
Mary had initially immigrated to Israel to work for Doris Gorin, an 89-year-old woman. Recounting Mary’s first meeting with her mother, Barbara Gorin recalled that “when the door opened, she walked up and hugged her, and my mother hugged her back. I immediately knew she would be wonderful. They hugged for a long time. I felt the chemistry. They fell in love with each other, and she became like a surrogate granddaughter.” Mary had refused to leave Doris during the COVID-19 pandemic. Janice Gorin, Doris’ other daughter, said that Mary “insisted on staying with [Doris] through six weeks of illness. She didn’t leave her side.” Barbara and Janice had approached Haaretz to share Mary’s story because “in the news they only write that a Filipina was killed, and we wanted to say – she wasn’t just a caregiver, she was a very special soul and a wonderful person. We want her to be given respect.”
United Hatzalah reported hours after the incident that responders were treating one patient in critical condition, one in serious condition, and 11 others with minor injuries, among them an infant with a head injury. Ynetglobal reported at least 22 people were injured, including a man in his 40’s who was seriously wounded by shrapnel. A number of others were also treated for emotional shock.
Videos posted by @UnitedHatzalah showed responders searching through rubble for trapped civilians and helping residents evacuate their buildings, including one group carrying an elderly man in a wheelchair down a stairwell. Other footage showed residents evacuating with luggage, and one man leaving with a dog in his arms.
Photos showed several damaged buildings, with at least one left gutted from the inside while its shell remained. A large crater was visible in front of it. Another video by @MiddleEastSpectator showed a row of cars ablaze outside a building whose roof was burning, with responders working to contain the fire. Ynetnews reported that 40 buildings were damaged in total and 200 residents were evacuated to nearby hotels.
Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strike to the Iranian military.