A single siren, a split-second decision and a stroke of luck saved the life of Hanna, a resident of Ramat Gan, on Wednesday, when shrapnel from an intercepted missile that was part of a barrage on central Israel struck her parked car in Givatayim, smashing the driver’s-side window and hitting exactly where she had been sitting moments earlier.
Hanna, who had arrived at the shopping center to run errands, described the sequence of events: “I parked the car near the entrance to the supermarket, did my shopping, went back to the car to drive home, and suddenly there was an alert. I left the car and went to a shelter.”
According to her, the quick decision to seek cover prevented injury. “While I was in the shelter there was no boom, and when I came out I saw my car was shattered. All the other cars were intact except for mine. It hit only it, and only the driver’s seat.”
She said the fragment penetrated the driver’s window, causing severe damage to the vehicle. “The car is gone,” she said, adding that police at the scene began examining the debris. “They’re checking to make sure it’s not explosive material. They’ll take the car, and we’ll move on.”
She described the incident as nothing short of a miracle: “It’s a big miracle, a big miracle. I wouldn’t be able to talk to you if I had been in the car instead of going to the shelter.”
Meanwhile, the Home Front Command released edited security camera footage on social media showing the moment of a missile strike in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning.
“A live impact: dramatic footage from the direct hit in central Israel proves once again — Home Front Command guidelines simply save lives,” the post on X read.
Footage of the direct strike in central Israel
(Video: Home Front Command )
“Security cameras from the scene tell the whole story. The story of those who take shelter and those who choose to take risks and nearly pay with their lives. 7:28 a.m. An early warning is received in the area. Cameras document residents of nearby buildings beginning to move toward shared shelters. Three minutes later, a siren sounds, and most civilians rush to protected spaces, except for a few who continue their routine,” a narrator says in the video.
“Another minute and a half passes. Then note the massive blast wave captured on camera. At the impact site, a car is seen being thrown into the air before catching fire. Shrapnel flies across the area, windows shatter into the street, and large debris continues to fall for long seconds after the strike. This incident also proves that regardless of the type of missile or its payload, those who take cover save their lives. Fortunately, and thanks to the responsible behavior of the vast majority of residents, the incident ended with several lightly injured. Don’t gamble with your life.”
First published: 14:21, 03.25.26