Iran targeted southern Israel, and two hours after a strike on an Adama factory in the Neot Hovav industrial zone, a cluster missile was launched Sunday toward the Negev desert, causing multiple impact sites in Be'er Sheva.
Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical service, evacuated 13 people to Soroka Medical Center in the city. Five were lightly wounded by debris from the blast and eight were treated for acute anxiety.
Destruction at Be'er Sheva home
(Video: Ilana Curiel)
Impact site in Be'er Sheva
One of the strikes hit near Turner Stadium, the city’s soccer arena. The shockwave also damaged the “Red House” complex of Hapoel Be'er Sheva, where the senior team had trained earlier in the day. Far more extensive damage was reported to homes in the Nahal Ashan neighborhood.
Footage showed heavy destruction inside one home, including a hole torn through the ceiling. Nahal Ashan, a neighborhood of older homes, has been hit by rocket fire from Gaza in previous rounds of fighting. “There have been Kassam rocket impacts here, but never an Iranian missile."
“We always go into the safe room,” several women in the neighborhood said, referring to a reinforced room in Israeli homes designed for protection during attacks. “We heard an explosion and it felt like it was right on the house. We waited to come out to see what happened. It’s shocking to see the house destroyed like this. The whole street is wrecked. Everyone was affected.”
Many new immigrants live in the neighborhood. Portable bomb shelters had been placed near some homes, while others took cover in a communal shelter.
“Our home is destroyed, but everyone is alive. That’s what matters most,” said Vlad. “We didn’t believe something like this would happen. We thought we would be OK. Who knew.”
Oleg added: “The house is completely destroyed. Total ruin. The ceiling of the second floor collapsed entirely. It’s a total shock. I still don’t understand.”
MDA emergency medic said: “We received reports of several impact sites and dispatched ambulances, intensive care units and motorcycles. We arrived within minutes and saw widespread destruction, shattered glass and heavy smoke. We began extensive searches and treated several people suffering from anxiety and others with light injuries.”