Hours after American airstrikes hit three Iranian nuclear sites, Iran fired over 40 missiles at Israel on Sunday and injured 23 people, with most of the cities suffering major damage.
In Tel Aviv, which has one of the largest impact zones, a high-rise apartment building had severe structural damage with its front face ripped off. Some adjacent buildings, such as a nursing home, were damaged in a wide radius of blast. Authorities attributed the low number of casualties to evacuations conducted on time and residents reaching shelters.
Deputy Mayor Haim Goren commended emergency response work at the scene. Nursing home residents, many of whom needed assistance, were evacuated safely. Windows were broken up to the 11th floor, leaving residents dazed. “It’s like a typhoon hit my apartment,” said Ofer Berger, a resident whose seventh-floor apartment was demolished.
Emergency officials verified that one was moderately hurt by shrapnel and dozens were lightly injured. Resettled residents assembled outdoors with pets and personal effects, amidst broken glass and deformed metal. “One Heart” aid group volunteers helped with the recovery.
The Israeli Defense Forces put the number of residents displaced at more than 9,000 since fighting started, with over 240 buildings and 2,000 apartments damaged. 79-year-old Mira Goshen explained the horrifying experience as her apartment was reduced to rubble. Her pet bird, Chica, survived an 11-story drop by miracle.
Debris was removed and food and water handed out by municipal workers before nearby businesses reopened with shattered goods still on the shelves but no one inside.
While life resumes amid devastation, Goren noted rising stress levels from nightly attacks and shelter confinements. Temporary shelters are being set up in public spaces.
“I’m not thinking about the US or Iran,” Goshen added. “I just want to know where I’ll go now.”