Iran claims ceasefire in effect after deadly missile attack

Iran launches multiple volleys of ballistic missiles, with direct hit on an apartment building killing four, injuring eight.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Iran launched multiple missile barrages at Israel early Tuesday morning, both before and after the deadline for a ceasefire announced by President Donald Trump hours earlier.

At least six separate volleys were detected, beginning at around 5:15 a.m. Israel time. During the first five barrages, 11 missile launches were detected.

The sixth barrage struck Israel after 7:20 a.m. local time, after a ceasefire was supposed to take effect for Iran.

While most Iranian ballistic missiles take 10 to 12 minutes to reach Israel, Iranian state media claimed the projectiles were launched one minute before the ceasefire went into effect.

Multiple hits were reported, including a direct hit on an apartment building in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, killing four people and injuring eight.

A spokesperson for the Southern District Fire and Rescue Services said three people were rescued from the ruins of the apartment building hit in the attack.

“As part of the ongoing rescue and search operations in the area,
after fire crews had earlier extracted three deceased individuals from the site, firefighters have now successfully rescued three civilians alive from the collapse. These individuals had initially been declared missing at the beginning of the incident.”

The victims killed in the attack include two women, a 40-year-old man, and a 20-year-old man.

Two people in their 50s were evacuated to a hospital in moderate condition, while six others are listed in light condition.

“This is a very difficult scene, with extensive damage and destruction to residential buildings as a result of a direct and deadly missile hit,” said Eliyahu Yitzhak Tuval, head of the United Hatzalah branch in Beersheba.

“Unfortunately, four patients have been pronounced dead. Our medical responders provided medical treatment at the scene to two casualties who are currently classified as in moderate condition and to about twenty patients classified as lightly wounded. United Hatzalah Psychotrauma teams assisted at the scene with anxiety victims.”

Magen David Adom (MDA) chief Eli Bin said that searches were continuing at the scene, despite concerns over a possible gas leak.

Tuesday’s attacks push the death toll in Israel during the war with Iran to 28, with a 29th fatality resulting from a heart attack triggered during a missile attack.