Iran Missile Strike Kills 9 in Beit Shemesh

by: Aden Abdi | Monday, 2 March 2026 00:43 EAT

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An Iranian missile strike devastates a residential building in the settlement of Beit Shemesh, resulting in the deaths of five settlers.

Tehran (Diplomat.so) - Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched the "ninth wave" of attacks against U.S. and Israeli targets as Israeli authorities confirmed that at least nine people were killed in a direct ballistic missile strike on a public shelter in Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, marking one of the deadliest single incidents inside Israel since the current war began. The announcement came on Sunday amid rapidly escalating hostilities across multiple fronts.

According to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan and Channel 12, the missile struck a municipal shelter in Beit Shemesh, killing nine people—most of them inside the protected structure—and injuring at least 57 others. Three of the wounded are reported in critical condition and three in moderate condition. Emergency responders said approximately 20 individuals were initially unaccounted for, raising concerns about people trapped beneath rubble as search-and-rescue operations continued.

The IRGC claimed its latest wave of strikes killed 40 people in Haifa and wounded 60 more, though Israeli officials have not confirmed those figures. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said air-raid sirens and early-warning systems were activated "in accordance with protocol.”

Beit Shemesh Mayor Aliza Bloch told Israeli Army Radio that the missile "directly hit a public shelter,” resulting in extensive structural destruction. The Walla news site cited the city’s police commander as saying four buildings collapsed in the blast zone. Video verified by Israeli media showed a powerful explosion and widespread debris damage.

In Tel Aviv, municipal authorities told Haaretz that roughly 200 buildings have been damaged and hundreds of residents evacuated since the escalation began. Ichilov Hospital confirmed that one civilian in Ramat Gan died after collapsing while running toward a protected space.

Iranian officials asserted the use of advanced guidance systems in the strike. Independent analysts noted reports of increasingly precise targeting, but such claims have not been independently verified.

The exchange follows coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets beginning Saturday, which Tehran says killed senior officials and civilians. Iran has responded with sustained missile and drone fire against Israeli territory and U.S. positions in the Gulf.