RISHON LEZION, ISRAEL — In the early hours of Saturday morning, sirens pierced the silence across Israel, warning of incoming missiles. In Rishon LeZion, a suburban city just south of Tel Aviv, families rushed to bomb shelters, unaware that their neighborhood was about to become one of the hardest hit in a wave of Iranian retaliation.
For Ifat Benhaim, the moments before impact were filled with fear. “We closed the door to our basement, and suddenly there was such a big boom,” she recalled. “I thought the whole house collapsed on us.”
When she and her family emerged, the scene was devastating: shattered windows, debris covering the floor, and the once-quiet street reduced to rubble. At least 30 cars were mangled, and roofs of several homes had caved in.
A Night of Terror
The missile strike, part of six waves of coordinated Iranian attacks in response to Israeli strikes on Iranian territory, hit shortly after 5 a.m. local time. According to Israeli authorities, the barrage forced millions to seek shelter.
Two people were killed in Rishon LeZion, including 73-year-old Israel Aloni, whose name was released by local media. At least 19 others were injured in the city. In nearby Ramat Gan, another fatality brought the nationwide death toll to three, with 76 others wounded across Israel.
Emergency responders and bomb squads quickly arrived on scene, using sniffer dogs to detect unexploded ordnance buried beneath twisted metal and concrete.
Families Displaced, Memories Destroyed
For the Benhaim family, who had lived in their home for nearly three decades, the emotional toll has been overwhelming. Now displaced, they are trying to gather what belongings they can before deciding where to go next.
A neighbor, who chose not to be identified, said she had opted to spend the night at her daughter’s home “just in case.” That decision, she believes, saved her life.
Another resident, 48-year-old Sally Ilan, stood outside her parents’ destroyed home clutching a few intact plates. “This was the first house built in the neighborhood,” she said. “My father worked so hard to build it. Forty years of memories are gone… it’s heavy on the heart.”
Escalation After Israeli Offensive
The Iranian missile attacks came in response to Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion,” which began Friday with a targeted assassination campaign against senior Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists. That operation has since expanded to include strikes on nuclear sites, air defenses, military bases, and infrastructure throughout Iran.
According to Iranian officials, over 800 people have been injured and 78 killed in the strikes. Iranian state TV reported that one Israeli airstrike hit a residential block in Tehran, killing 60 people, including 20 children.
A City in Mourning, a Nation on Edge
In Rishon LeZion, residents continue to sift through the wreckage of their lives. Nearby the wrecked homes, someone wrote in the dust of a car windshield: “Until when?”
The phrase echoes the question being asked not only by residents but by much of the international community as fears grow of further escalation between the two regional powers.
Despite the destruction, residents in Rishon LeZion have begun organizing community efforts to provide shelter and food for those displaced. Volunteers have set up temporary housing in schools and synagogues, offering a glimpse of resilience amid chaos.
International Concern Grows
Global leaders are closely monitoring the situation, urging restraint. The United Nations and the European Union have called for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities to prevent further civilian loss.
Israeli officials say their military remains on high alert, with Iron Dome batteries redeployed across population centers in anticipation of further attacks. Meanwhile, Iran has warned of “decisive retaliation” if Israeli strikes continue.
Caught in Crossfire, Civilians Bear the Brunt
What began as a political and military standoff has now become an intensely personal tragedy for families like the Benhaims and Ilans. In just minutes, homes built over lifetimes were turned to rubble, and peaceful neighborhoods became battlegrounds.
The question written in dust “Until when?” captures a shared grief and uncertainty, as communities across Israel and Iran alike brace for what may come next.
