Ramat Gan Mayor: ‘We were lucky there were no children at school’ hit by Houthis missile

The Mayor announced the damage was 40 million shekel ($11 million) and that a replacement Ramat Ef’al elementary school building would be constructed.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

On Thursday, Ramat Gan Mayor Carmel Shama-Hacohen expressed gratitude that there were no children at the school targeted by a Houthi ballistic missile overnight.

The multistory building collapsed on impact with the partially intercepted ballistic missile.

Footage from the scene circulating on social media show a building with its wall blown off, exposing the classroom inside. Partially collapsed roofs, shattered glass, and scattered debris are also seen.

The Mayor announced the damage was 40 million shekel ($11 million) and that a replacement Ramat Ef’al elementary school building would be constructed.

The Ramat Gan municipality said in a statement that students in grades 1-4, including special education students, will attend classes in nearby schools. Students in the 5th and 6th grades will attend classes online.

The IDF initially announced it had intercepted the missile, but a part of the missile or the interceptor fell on the school destroying it.

There were no reported injuries, but some parked cars were damaged by debris.

The missile set off sirens in central Israel, with citizens crowding into bomb shelters in the middle of the night.

The Israeli Air Force struck numerous Houthi-controlled assets in Yemen, including major ports and oil sites, during the early hours of Thursday morning, as the terror group launched a ballistic missile that triggered sirens throughout central Israel.