A Tragic Turn of Events: The Deadliest Attack on Israel Since the War's Commencement Claims Nine Lives and Destroys a Synagogue
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, a devastating attack on Israel has left the nation reeling, marking the deadliest since the war's inception. The incident unfolded on Sunday afternoon, as a neighbourhood bomb shelter, housing 30 individuals, came under direct fire from an Iranian missile. Among those present was Oren Katz, a father of four, whose act of selflessness would ultimately cost him his life.
Katz's wife, Samadi, expressed her grief at his funeral, recalling his generosity. "Even when you were in trouble, you would say give, and that giving cost you your life," she said. The ynet news site quoted her as saying, "I can’t digest it."
This tragic incident resulted in the loss of nine lives, including four teenage children. The Biton family suffered an unimaginable tragedy, losing three of their children: 13-year-old Sarah, 15-year-old Avigail, and 16-year-old Yaakov. Another victim was 16-year-old Gabriel Baruch Revah, as reported by Israeli media.
The force of the explosion was so intense that it completely destroyed a nearby synagogue and caused the protective roof of the shelter to cave in. Astonishingly, despite its age and the severity of the strike, a significant portion of the structure remained intact, as noted by an officer leading the search and rescue mission.
"Even with the very severe impact that was here, and the price that was paid in this attack, the vast majority of people that were in the bomb shelter came out of it alive," Lt Col Oded Revivi stated at the site. He further added, "In the bomb shelter, there were over 30 people, two are dead, one is injured, and 28 people came out alive."
The death toll matched the worst single attack of the 12-day war with Iran in June, when a missile hit an apartment block in Bat Yam near Tel Aviv. Among the victims were Katz and the four teenagers, as well as two women and their adult children: Sara Elimelech and her daughter Ronit, and Bruria Cohen with her son Yossi.
The aftermath of the attack revealed a scene of horror, with survivors running from two massive blazes, cars burning around the missile site, and a wide radius of wreckage spreading beyond the immediate impact zone. Israeli authorities boast a sophisticated early warning system, typically providing residents with a few minutes to reach a shelter if one is available.
However, not all areas in the country have shelters, particularly those with large populations of Palestinian citizens of Israel. Additionally, some existing shelters are ageing and not designed to withstand modern-day missiles.
The attack on Beit Shemesh, a quiet hillside town about half an hour from Jerusalem, sent shockwaves through the community. Nissim Edri, a 71-year-old community leader, lost childhood friends in the strike. The morning after the attack, sirens disrupted funerals, prompting mourners to seek shelter. Edri, however, froze on the stairs of his local shelter, built at the same time as the one hit on Sunday, due to the tragic loss of his friends.
Despite the partial failure of the Beit Shemesh shelter, Lt Col Revivi urged Israelis to utilise their shelters. "No shelter can provide 100% security 100% of the time," he acknowledged. "This specific bomb shelter was built over 50 years ago, which means it is not modern standards, it is not the most protected surroundings that we have."
David Azulai's family was saved by a safe room built into their house, just a short distance from the missile impact site. "The explosion was huge, it shook our shelter, and when we came out this is what we found," he said, pointing to the collapsed roof and shattered windows. His car, across the road, was in flames.
On Monday, as Azulai packed up a few possessions, he expressed gratitude rather than fear. "Thank God it was the house and the car, not us."
The synagogue, while not his usual place of worship, was where he attended some holidays. He acknowledged that his two children were struggling more, "When they hear the sirens, they are afraid."
Beit Shemesh, a relatively obscure town, had not expected to bear the brunt of the attack, even as residents followed government orders to take shelter. In recent years, the town has gained attention due to tensions caused by an influx of ultra-orthodox families, who have sometimes attempted to impose their own regulations on gender segregation and women's dress codes on neighbours.
The only previous direct brush with Israel's regional conflicts occurred during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, when a rocket landed in an open area, and some fragments of intercepted shrapnel fell in the town. Neither incident caused injury or damage, and Beit Shemesh escaped Israel's war with Iran last summer unscathed.
However, the collapsed shelter on the outskirts of this hillside town serves as a stark reminder of the devastating damage a single missile can inflict when it slips through the protective net, and the cost to Israeli civilians of the new war launched by their prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
