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Israel’s death toll from Iranian strikes has risen to 22 after a night of heavy missile fire forced families back into bomb shelters and left homes in ruins.
Eight more people were killed overnight when rockets hit residential areas in central Israel and the Haifa region. About 90 people were treated for injuries, mostly minor wounds and shock. Two residents are still missing under collapsed buildings as rescue teams search through the wreckage. Air defences intercepted many threats but several missiles broke through, destroying upper floors and starting fires that burned for hours.
The deaths overnight spanned three cities: Haifa, Petah Tikva and Bnei Brak. In Haifa, three people were killed when a missile struck a block of flats and brought down a stairwell. In Petah Tikva, four people — two women and two men — died when missiles hit two separate buildings in the same neighbourhood.
Neighbours said a blast punched through a reinforced safe room, scattering debris across several floors and forcing families to flee through smoke.
In Bnei Brak, a man in his eighties was killed when a missile damaged a small block of flats and trapped him in his home. Paramedic David Suissa, who joined the search team, said: “When we arrived at the scene in Bnei Brak and searched with Home Front Command, we found an 80-year-old man trapped and unconscious. We helped with the rescue and medical checks, but unfortunately we had to declare him dead on site.”
Medical teams took about 87 people to hospitals from four impact zones overnight. Most injuries were mild, but a woman in her thirties is still in serious condition with a head wound.
Emergency crews say they will keep searching for missing residents throughout today. Hospitals report that most injuries are mild, but some patients remain in moderate or serious condition.
Eight drones launched by Iran were shot down at sea in the first use of the new Barak Magen air defence system. The new interceptor, fitted on Sa’ar 6 missile ships, can tackle drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and other threats at sea.
The Israeli Air Force has struck more than 100 targets in Iran since Saturday night. Raids have focused on command centres, missile launch teams and weapons factories in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. One strike south of Tehran destroyed a surface-to-air missile unit seconds before launch and dismantled the launcher. Other missions hit drone assembly plants, rocket fuel bunkers and storage sites for spare missile parts.
IDF military spokesman Effie Defrin said the goal is to break Iran’s ability to keep attacking: “We hit nuclear command centres, research labs and weapons factories. We will not let Iran restore its strength to threaten our cities. Our pilots are over Tehran now and will keep striking until this threat is removed.”
President Isaac Herzog visited Bat Yam yesterday, one of the cities hit the night before. He spoke about the victims — four Arabs and six Jews — and said Iran’s rockets kill indiscriminately. He declared: “Iran decided it will strike civilians wherever they live, and we will defend ourselves and the world from this evil regime.”
The US has sent aerial refueling tankers across the Atlantic to support Israeli jets reaching deep Iranian targets. European leaders have urged Tehran to stop its missile fire and repeated that Israel has the right to defend its people.
Israel’s airspace remains closed to civilian flights. Airlines have cancelled more departures and arrivals.
In other news, the second hostage who was recovered dead from Gaza last week has been named as Aviv Atzili, 49, from Kibbutz Nir Oz. The same raid that retrieved the body of Yair Yaakov also brought back Atzili’s remains.
Israeli forces carried out the operation in Khan Younis, using intelligence gained from a captured Hamas operative. Atzili, a member of the kibbutz alert squad, fought Hamas gunmen on October 7 and was listed as abducted until his death was confirmed in December.
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