Iran's Missile Barrage Devastates Israeli Cities, Dozens Injured

A barrage of 25-30 Iranian ballistic missiles, possibly including the advanced Sejil and Khurramshahr models, struck central Israel on Thursday morning, causing widespread destruction in Holon, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, and beyond. The attack, part of the escalating Israel-Iran conflict now in its seventh day, targeted civilian areas, leaving 47 injured in Holon alone.

In Holon, a four-story residential building was hit, injuring an 80-year-old man and two women in their 70s critically, two women around 80 moderately, and 42 others lightly from shrapnel and blast waves. Eighteen more were hurt rushing to shelters. Moshe Mordechai, who fled to his building’s protected space with his wife and three children, recounted, “We heard an explosion that shook the building. The shelter was full of smoke. We came out and saw the house completely destroyed. The shelter saved our family.” Thirteen-year-old Mika Arbuz, whose family’s home was also devastated, said, “We jumped out of bed at the siren, ran to the shelter. The missile fell right on us. My room was hit the worst. I just burst into tears,” per a recent Ynet article.

In Ramat Gan, a missile struck the Bursa business district, injuring 21 and damaging at least 20 buildings. A towering plume of smoke rose as glass fell from shattered towers for over an hour. A baby and his mother were rescued, with the uncle noting, “We waited in suspense for nearly an hour. They’re okay, heading to the hospital.” A family dog was also saved. Ali Sa’adi, near the site, said, “I didn’t reach a shelter in time, heard the missile, and felt the blast.” Mayor Carmel Shama-Hacohen urged residents to avoid the area due to ongoing risks.

Additional strikes hit Bat Yam, where a missile damaged a road and vehicles without direct casualties, and Tel Aviv, where four direct hits damaged residential and commercial areas. In Ariel, a missile fell without injuries, while in Elad, shrapnel hit a car, sparking a fire. Shrapnel also ignited a blaze at former minister Danny Naveh’s Savyon home. Sheba Medical Center treated six casualties from the barrage, two in serious condition, and has handled 239 injuries since Israel’s Operation Rising Lion began, with 218 discharged.

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan criticized the government, stating, “Hundreds of families in Samaria live without shelters in communities facing shootings and terror attempts. A child’s life here isn’t worth less. We demand fortification funding before the next disaster.”

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the strikes targeted military sites, releasing Khurramshahr launch footage, but Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, condemned the attacks as “war crimes,” accusing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of targeting civilians. Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered intensified IDF strikes on Iran’s strategic and regime targets to “destabilize the Ayatollah regime.” The barrage’s impact on civilian life has intensified Israel’s resolve, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.