Four Killed in Iranian Missile Strike on Residential Building in Beersheba, Israel Confirms
Four people have been confirmed dead after an Iranian ballistic missile struck a residential building in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on Tuesday morning.
The Israeli Fire and Rescue Service had initially reported five fatalities, but later revised the figure after a formal body count was completed.
The strike, which occurred around 5:40 a.m., tore through the sixth-floor safe room of the building, killing four occupants and injuring at least 20 others.
Two of the injured are in moderate condition, while the rest suffered light injuries, according to emergency services.
“This was a direct hit to a reinforced shelter space,” said Moti Shapira, a regional emergency coordinator. “Despite the reinforced structure, the blast caused extensive structural collapse, trapping victims under the debris.”
Rescue teams worked for hours to recover the bodies and treat survivors, with one woman’s body pulled from the rubble just before noon.
The missile strike took place just minutes before a ceasefire brokered by the United States was due to take effect. The timing has sparked outrage in Israel, with officials accusing Iran of violating the terms of the ceasefire with deliberate attacks on civilian areas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the missile strike as a “barbaric and calculated assault” aimed at derailing peace efforts. Defense Minister Israel Katz also warned of consequences, stating that “no ceasefire will prevent Israel from defending its citizens or retaliating as needed.”
The pre-dawn attack triggered emergency protocols across southern Israel. Flights were temporarily grounded, airspace over the southern corridor was shut down, and thousands of residents in Beersheba and nearby towns were forced into bomb shelters for hours.
This latest incident follows a similar strike on June 19 that damaged parts of Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, injuring over 80 people and further deepening national anxiety over the escalating hostilities.
While Israeli air defense systems intercepted dozens of projectiles during Tuesday’s barrage, a number of missiles evaded interception and hit civilian zones.
Tuesday’s attack underscores the growing vulnerability of Israeli civilian infrastructure amid the ongoing conflict with Iran. Over the past two weeks, Iran has launched multiple waves of missile and drone attacks in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes on its nuclear and military facilities.
The Israeli military has vowed to respond “at a time and place of its choosing,” while international observers warn that a broader regional war could erupt if diplomatic channels fail to de-escalate the crisis.
Meanwhile, the families of the deceased in Beersheba are preparing for funerals under tight security, with the Israeli Home Front Command on high alert.
As the conflict widens, citizens in both nations remain on edge — caught between calls for peace and the sobering reality of continued bloodshed.
