Israeli cities woke to the sound of sirens and explosions as Iran launched six waves of missile attacks in retaliation to Israel’s Operation Rising Lion. Among the hardest-hit areas was Rishon LeZion, a quiet suburb south of Tel Aviv, where residents now confront devastation and loss.
“It was such a big boom I thought the whole house had fallen on us,” said Ifat Benhaim, who, with her family, rushed into their basement for safety. When they emerged, their home of 29 years was littered with shattered glass, dust, and broken furniture. Across their street, rooftops had caved in, and at least 30 cars were left wrecked.
The Iranian missile struck around 5:00 a.m. local time, claiming two lives in the neighborhood, including 73-year-old Israel Aloni. Another 19 were injured. Rescue crews, supported by sniffer dogs, combed through the rubble, searching for survivors and unexploded ordnance.
The strike came amid a wider Israeli campaign that began Friday with targeted assassinations of Iranian military and nuclear officials. The operation escalated quickly, hitting Iranian nuclear sites, air defences, and infrastructure. Iran has reported at least 78 deaths and 800 injuries, including 60 people killed in a single strike on an apartment block in Tehran.
Despite the damage in Israel, officials note that the scale of destruction is far greater in Iran. Still, the emotional toll in Israeli communities is profound.
Sally Ilan, 48, returned to her parents’ ruined home to salvage what she could. Holding a piece of crockery, she spoke of the house’s legacy: “It was the first house in the neighborhood. Forty years of memories—gone. It’s heavy on the heart.”
A message scrawled into a dust-covered car in Rishon LeZion read simply: “Until when?”—a poignant question echoing the uncertainty gripping both nations and the world as the conflict escalates rapidly, now barely 48 hours old.
