Israel was rocked Sunday by one of the deadliest attacks on its soil since the October 7 Hamas massacre.

An Iranian ballistic missile slammed into an older neighborhood in Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, killing nine people and injuring dozens more. According to Magen David Adom, at least 28 people were confirmed injured, with some reports putting the number closer to 50, including several children.

According to Beit Shemesh Mayor Shmuel Greenberg, approximately 20 individuals remain unaccounted for as search and rescue operations continue into the night.

In a chilling detail, officials said the missile struck the roof of a shelter where residents had gathered after red alert sirens sounded. JBN’s Josh Broide, reporting live from the scene, said the victims had taken proper precautions and were inside what they believed was a protected space. The direct impact underscores the immense force and destructive power of the Iranian ballistic missile used in the attack.

Broide described entire apartment buildings reduced to rubble and spoke directly with medics working frantically to treat the wounded. Emergency personnel told JBN that victims were pulled from collapsed structures as crews continued combing through debris for anyone still trapped.

Israeli media reported that at least four apartment buildings were destroyed in the blast. Approximately 30 ambulances were dispatched as emergency teams raced against time. Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command Search and Rescue units, along with numerous medical forces and a helicopter evacuation team, operated at the site. The IDF said the early warning system functioned as designed and was activated in the impact area. The incident remains under investigation.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the scene Sunday evening as Israel continues to assess the toll from the latest Iranian missile barrage.

The strike marks one of the most severe direct hits in central Israel in the current escalation, with rescue teams still searching and families anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.