Iran launched a devastating series of ballistic missile attacks against Israel over the weekend, killing at least 10 people and wounding approximately 200 others in what marked the second major escalation in the ongoing conflict.
Bat Yam Devastation: Six Dead, Seven Missing
The deadliest single strike occurred in the central city of Bat Yam, where an Iranian ballistic missile slammed into a residential building overnight Saturday, killing six people and leaving seven feared missing under the rubble. Among the victims were three children: an 8-year-old girl, a 10-year-old boy, and an 18-year-old teenager.
Over 100 people were wounded in Bat Yam, while soldiers from the IDF Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue Brigade continued search operations Sunday morning to locate those trapped under the debris.
The destruction in Bat Yam was extensive, with Mayor Tzvika Brot reporting that “61 buildings were damaged in one way or another — six of them will need to be completely demolished.”
Multiple Strike Locations Across Central Israel
The Iranian barrage targeted several population centers across central Israel, triggering sirens and sending residents scrambling for bomb shelters just after 2:30 a.m. Saturday.
In Rehovot, at least 42 people were wounded, including two seriously and 13 moderately injured. Rescue teams successfully extracted one man who had been trapped alive under rubble for hours.
The northern Arab city of Tamra, east of Haifa, was struck in an earlier Saturday night barrage, where a missile destroyed a two-story home, killing four women and injuring approximately 10 people.
Additional strikes hit Ramat Gan and Rishon Lezion, claiming three more lives. The victims were identified as Etti Cohen Engel, Yisrael Aloni (73), and Yevgenia Blinder. In Rishon Lezion, rescue teams pulled a three-month-old baby from the rubble.
Enhanced Warning System Deployed
In response to the escalating threat, the Israel Defense Forces’ Home Front Command announced a new early warning protocol on Saturday. The system now provides Israelis with 15-30 minutes advance notice of incoming ballistic missile attacks through the Home Front Command app, allowing adequate time to reach bomb shelters.
The multi-layered warning system operates as follows:
- Initial warning 15-30 minutes before impact via the Home Front Command app
- Secondary warning approximately 10 minutes before impact through both the app and cell broadcast system
- Final sirens sound 90 seconds before expected impact, at which point civilians must immediately enter shelters
This enhanced system takes advantage of the IDF’s ability to detect Iranian military preparations for missile launches before the actual firing occurs.
Scale of the Attack
Iran fired approximately 200 ballistic missiles at Israel across four main waves throughout the weekend. The IDF reported that 50 missiles were intentionally not intercepted as they were determined to be heading toward open areas, while a “small number” successfully breached Israeli air defenses.
The Iranian assault began with an initial volley of 100 drones, all of which were intercepted by Israeli and regional air defense systems before reaching their targets.
Protective Measures Prove Effective
Despite the scale of the attack, Israel’s civil defense preparations demonstrated their effectiveness in minimizing casualties. In Tel Aviv, a missile struck the 9th floor of a high-rise tower, destroying several apartments, but the building’s bomb safe rooms withstood the impact, leaving hundreds of civilians unharmed or only lightly injured.
Similarly, in Ramat Gan, residents who sought shelter in a basement were protected even when their older building, which lacked a dedicated bomb safe room, took a direct hit.
Regional Spillover: Houthi Attack Wounds Palestinians
The conflict’s regional dimensions were highlighted when Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile at Israel on Friday evening. The missile wounded five Palestinians, including three children, in the town of Sa’ir near Hebron in the southern West Bank. The IDF did not launch interceptors against this missile, and the incident remains under investigation.
The Houthis have significantly escalated their involvement since March 18, launching 49 ballistic missiles and at least 11 drones at Israel, with several missiles falling short of their targets.
Israeli Response Continues
Throughout Saturday, Israeli forces continued their retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets. The Iranian missile barrage was launched in response to Israeli strikes that began early Friday, targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile production plants, and military leadership.
The weekend’s attacks represent a dangerous escalation in the regional conflict, with Iran demonstrating its willingness to directly target Israeli population centers with ballistic missiles carrying warheads of hundreds of kilograms of explosives—a far more serious threat than the drones typically used in previous attacks.
As rescue operations continue and the full extent of the damage becomes clearer, both sides appear locked in an escalating cycle of retaliation that threatens to further destabilize the region.
Saturday evening saw two rockets launched from the southern Gaza Strip at southern Israel. The rockets hit open areas, the army said, with no injuries caused.
