Nine dead as Iranian missiles hit Beit Shemesh and West Jerusalem

At least nine people were killed and 27 injured when an Iranian missile struck Beit Shemesh, west of jerusalem, destroying a synagogue where people had taken shelter, emergency services say.

Synagogue shelter flattened in Beit Shemesh

Emergency crews described a scene of ruin in Beit Shemesh: a synagogue that had been used as a bomb shelter was completely destroyed, rescuers digging through piles of broken concrete and twisted metal for people feared trapped under the rubble. Police say 11 people are still missing and the search is ongoing. Magen David Adom paramedic Dror Eini said, "We saw destroyed homes, flames and smoke rising from residential buildings, wrecked cars, and significant chaos at the scene. "

Missiles bypassed defences in West Jerusalem

Several people were injured after an Iranian ballistic missile struck a road in West Jerusalem, where missiles could be seen bypassing air defences, a separate account said. Missile attacks continued into Sunday evening; most were intercepted but one fell on a street in the Jerusalem area, injuring at least three people.

Part of a wider Iranian response across the region

The missile strikes came as Iran launched attacks across the Middle East in response to a massive and ongoing attack against it by the US and Israel. Across the Gulf, Iran used ballistic missiles and drones to target US allies and assets after Iran's supreme leader was killed in the ongoing US-Israel air offensive launched on Saturday morning. One person was killed in Abu Dhabi and a death was also reported in Kuwait; dozens more have been injured in strikes across the region.

Regional fallout: airports, bases and intercepted launches

Thousands of flights were grounded to and from the region, causing one of the most serious disruptions to global travel since the Covid-19 pandemic. Video showed debris across the floor of a damaged Dubai airport. Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait said they had intercepted missiles fired towards them, though falling debris appeared to cause widespread damage.

In Bahrain, a drone strike near the US Navy's 5th Fleet base caused a major fire after hitting close to a British naval facility that adjoins the American base; an official said there were no reports of casualties. The official added that so far four people have been wounded by Iranian attacks in Bahrain.

Local voices and the collapse of a sanctuary

Residents said dozens had gone to the bomb shelter after receiving phone alerts and hearing air raid sirens. Witnesses described the shelter as a place where people lived, prayed and were taught — with no military presence — and questioned why it would be targeted. "Why would this be a target, " one resident said. Sky News journalists on the scene described huge diggers brought in to clear rubble while search-and-rescue teams, soldiers, emergency workers, police, local residents and politicians worked at the site.

An Israeli military official acknowledged limits to defences, saying, "Nothing can be one hundred percent effective. We cannot stop every single missile. We can try, but we know that eventually one will get through. " Culture minister Amichai Eliyahu surveyed the destruction and asked rhetorically what the victims had done to deserve the attack, saying the strike was driven by pure hatred.

This is the deadliest attack in Israel so far in this war. In a post on X, the Israel Defense Forces accused Iran of directly firing missiles toward Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, "killing innocent civilians. " Search-and-rescue teams remain at the scene, and authorities continue to account for the missing and the injured as recovery operations proceed.