UPDATE: Six Still Missing after Iranian Missile Hits Beit Shemesh Synagogue | WATCH

The war with the Iranian regime took a horrific turn this evening as a ballistic missile carrying a 500 kilogram warhead slammed into a residential neighborhood in Beit Shemesh. The direct hit, which struck a standard, legally mandated bomb shelter, has resulted in at least nine deaths and over 40 injuries. As darkness falls over the city, elite Home Front Command search and rescue units are engaged in a desperate race against time to locate six individuals who remain missing and are currently defined as "out of contact." The strike caused the partial collapse of a synagogue and several surrounding residential buildings, creating a massive field of debris that rescuers are now scanning with advanced thermal and acoustic technology.

The Strike on the Shelter

The destruction in Beit Shemesh is among the most severe seen since the start of the current war. According to military officials, the missile was a heavy ballistic projectile with a warhead containing half a ton of explosives. "It was a direct hit by a missile on a standard shelter built according to regulations," a military source confirmed. Mayor Shmuel Greenberg, who arrived at the scene shortly after the impact, described the horror of the situation, noting that "this is a difficult case, we are talking about people who actually went into the shelter." The force of the half ton warhead caused the roof of the reinforced room to partially collapse, trapping those inside who had followed safety protocols.

Heroic Rescues Amid the Flames

As the fire department and medical teams from Magen David Adom (MDA) and United Hatzalah reached the scene, they were met with a landscape of fire and shattered glass. Fire Chief Rosh described one particularly harrowing rescue: "The fighters entered and saw a mother holding a two year old baby. The fighter went in while the fire was still burning. We had to get the baby out, we pulled the baby out and continued treating the mother." In another part of the ruins, rescuers found a woman in her 60s trapped under a massive slab of concrete. MDA medic Tzvi David recounted how they managed to lift the concrete and evacuate her in stable condition. Additionally, three children who were trapped in a locked room were freed by firefighters and treated for light injuries.

The Medical Toll at Hadassah

The injured were rushed to Hadassah Ein Kerem and Hadassah Mount Scopus hospitals in Jerusalem. As of 18:45, Hadassah Ein Kerem is treating 18 victims, including one woman in serious condition, a child in moderate condition, and a pregnant woman in her 30s. Hadassah Mount Scopus received 17 victims, all of whom are in light condition and conscious. Among the wounded across both hospitals are seven children. MDA paramedic Nati Ben Shimon, who arrived on a motorcycle, described the initial triage: "The sight was difficult, we located four victims in critical condition with severe injuries to their bodies. We opened a forward sorting point near the scene to evacuate everyone quickly."

A City in Mourning and Waiting

The search for the six missing residents continues under floodlights as Home Front Command Chief Rafi Milo and Jerusalem District Police Commander Avshalom Peled manage the scene. Military officials clarified that both the preliminary and standard sirens functioned correctly, giving residents time to reach the very shelter that was ultimately destroyed by the massive warhead. Major General Rafi Milo urged the public to remain resilient, stating, "We are currently continuing with the rescue operations. The behavior of staying in the protected space is what saves lives, despite this difficult event. We expect challenging days and days of testing ahead." For the families of the six missing people, the night remains a grueling wait for news from the ruins.