Four people trapped in a Haifa residential building hit directly by an Iranian missile were recovered dead from the wreckage on Monday, after hours of complex rescue efforts at the scene.
The victims — an elderly couple in their 80s, their son in his 40s and his partner, a foreign national in her 30s — were pulled from the rubble in stages throughout the day. Authorities said the four had apparently tried to shelter in the building’s stairwell and were buried under concrete when the structure collapsed.
The six-story building sustained a direct hit, with its three lower floors completely destroyed. The victims, whose home spanned the first and second floors, were on the lower level when sirens sounded. The nearest shelter was outside their apartment, requiring them to leave and climb upward, which was difficult for the elderly couple.
According to the IDF, the missile partially broke apart in the air and did not explode. A failed interception allowed part of the missile to strike the building, causing the collapse. Officials said the unexploded ordnance still contains a large amount of explosive material and will be neutralized only after rescue operations are completed, though it does not pose an immediate risk.
Security and rescue forces operated at the site overnight and into Monday, with large teams from the Fire and Rescue Service and Home Front Command conducting extensive searches. Heavy cranes were brought in to lift concrete slabs, and officials described the site as one of the most complex rescue scenes encountered, in part due to a nearby valley that made access difficult.
The impact alone caused severe destruction. As a precaution, 23 families living near the site were evacuated to hotels.
Four people were also wounded at the scene, including an 82-year-old man who remains in serious condition after surgery at Rambam Health Care Campus. His wife, 78, was lightly injured, while a woman and a baby were also lightly wounded.
A resident of the building said he and his family had only seconds to react after the siren sounded. “We understood we wouldn’t make it to the shelter,” he said, describing how they shielded their baby as the blast shattered windows and filled the home with debris.
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav said the city had sustained significant damage. “Homes are being destroyed, and there is extensive harm to residents,” he said.
Fire and rescue officials said specialized national rescue units were deployed due to concerns over the building’s stability, while crews worked to extinguish fires, clear smoke and disconnect power sources at the scene.