Jerusalem, 24 June, 2025 (TPS-IL) — President Isaac Herzog visited the site of a deadly missile strike in Beer-Sheva on Tuesday, where four Israeli civilians were killed and at least 22 others injured. The attack took place shortly before a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran was scheduled to take effect.
The missile, an Iranian Qadr carrying more than 400 kilograms of explosives, hit a residential building in the southern city at around 5:40 a.m. “We lost four innocent civilians who were murdered by an Iranian Qadr missile,” Herzog said at the scene. “Unfortunately, Iran deliberately violated the ceasefire this morning.”
The missile was part of one of six early morning barrages launched by Iran. While most of the estimated 20 ballistic missiles were intercepted by Israeli defense systems, one struck the sixth floor of a relatively new Beer-Sheva apartment building. The blast caused part of the structure to collapse and destroyed two reinforced safe rooms where residents had taken shelter.
A preliminary investigation by Home Front Command found that the safe rooms, though designed to withstand shrapnel and shockwaves, could not survive a direct hit from a missile of that size. Three members of one family were killed in one safe room, and a fourth person died in another. The Israeli Air Force is investigating why the missile was not intercepted.
“This time, in addition to the hospital that was damaged days ago, a kindergarten was very badly damaged, a school was damaged, a residential neighborhood was damaged,” Herzog said, referring to a previous strike on the Soroka Medical Center, also in Beer-Sheva. “And to our terrible pain, we lost four innocent, innocent citizens.”
Israel launched a limited strike on an Iranian radar site north of Tehran Tuesday afternoon. It was in retaliation for two missiles fired by Iran more than three hours after the ceasefire took effect. Though Israel vowed a forceful response, it scaled back the operation following a call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.
Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on June 13, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached “a point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. According to Israeli defense officials, Iran has developed the capacity to rapidly enrich uranium and assemble nuclear bombs, with sufficient fissile material for up to 15 weapons.
Israeli intelligence also exposed a covert program to complete all components of a nuclear device. The strikes marked a dramatic escalation in what officials describe as a broader Iranian strategy combining nuclear development, missile proliferation, and proxy warfare aimed at Israel’s destruction.
