At least four dead and over 100 wounded in Iranian missile strike on Israel

At least four people were killed and more than 100 wounded early Monday morning in an Iranian ballistic missile attack on central Israel.

The victims – reportedly two women and a man in their seventies and another man in his eighties – were killed when missiles struck residential areas.

The deaths bring the Israeli death toll in the Israel-Iran conflict to 20.

Emergency teams rush to the site of the blast after an Iranian missile struck Tel Aviv (Photo: Omer Barr)[Missing Credit]

Emergency services reported that 74 people were hospitalised across four separate impact sites in the country. Among the injured are a 10-year-old boy and a 30-year-old woman with serious head injuries, according to local reports. Five others are in moderate condition, while 68 sustained mild injuries.

In Bnei Brak, 21 people were taken to hospital, according to Dan Region police commander Gilad Klein.

Scenes of chaos on Monday morning in Tel Aviv (Photo: Omer Barr)[Missing Credit]

Several residential buildings in central Tel Aviv were directly hit. Entire apartment blocks and nearby shops - just a five-minute walk from the beach - were destroyed in the blast.

Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv shortly after 4am, moments before the city was impacted.

Locals look at the site of the blast as emergency teams search the rubble (Photo: Omer Barr)[Missing Credit]

From a nearby bomb shelter, the shockwaves of the explosion could be felt. Buildings in surrounding blocks were damaged; shop windows were blown out, and multiple residential units were left in ruins.

When residents emerged from shelters around 4:45am, emergency crews were already searching through the rubble and MDA workers were assisting the injured. Stretchers were laid out for any severe injuries. 

Families could be seen leaving damaged shelters in shock. People carried their dogs out of devastated buildings.

A fire broke out at the site of the impact and a heavy smell of burning plastic and smoke lingered in the air.

Stretchers were readied for the injured (Photo: Omer Barr)[Missing Credit]

By sunrise, the fire had been put out and some locals were sitting on the pavement with what few belongings they had managed to salvage.

Noam, 31, who works in fashion, lived two buildings away from the blast. Her apartment was wrecked.

“We heard a huge explosion, but inside the shelter it was quiet. Things started moving, so we knew it was close,” she said. “After about 20 minutes we went outside. It was pretty apocalyptic. We were okay inside, and then we stepped out and saw the fire.”

Several hundred metres around the site of the blast have been impacted (Phote: Omer Barr)[Missing Credit]

An alcohol shop in her building was completely destroyed. A nearby camera store was also devastated, along with a Jewish community centre 100 metres from the blast. 

The popular neighbourhood, moments from the beach, is home to local residents as well as tourists.

The impacted area is also the site of the new Tel Aviv light rail construction.

Fire crews worked through the early morning to put out the flames (Photo: Omer Barr)[Missing Credit]