Iran Strikes Beit Shemesh Synagogue, Kills Nine

An Iranian ballistic missile struck the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh on Sunday.

“Jerusalem, Mar 1 (EFE)”

Agencia EFE

The strike caused heavy destruction and killed at least nine people, which multiple outlets described as the deadliest single attack on Israeli soil since the war began.

Agencia EFE

Reports said the impact devastated a residential area in the city about 30 km west of Jerusalem and left many people unaccounted for as rescue teams searched under rubble.

Reports gave Beit Shemesh's population as roughly 130,000–150,000.

Multiple sources described a direct hit on residential structures and a partial collapse, with photographs and eyewitness accounts showing pulverised concrete and twisted rebar.

Some outlets said a bomb shelter itself was struck, while others described a home or apartment building taking the direct impact, a contradiction across accounts.

Al Jazeera

Rescuers reported heavy structural damage and scenes of smoke and chaos as teams removed bodies and searched for survivors.

Nearby community and educational institutions were reported close to the impact point but, in at least one account, remained undamaged.

Emergency services reported dozens of wounded and significant search-and-rescue operations.

“י״ב אדר ה׳תשפ״ו | March 1, 2026 Iranian Missile Barrage Kills Nine in Beit Shemesh, Dozens Injured A massive Iranian missile barrage struck a residential building and public shelter in Beit Shemesh on Sunday afternoon, resulting in nine deaths and injuring nearly 30 others”

Anash.org

Magen David Adom and hospitals received many casualties, with several sources giving similar but not identical wounded counts and describing children among the seriously injured.

Helicopters and ground teams were deployed, and rescuers warned the death toll could still rise as people remained trapped.

The strike came amid a wider escalation.

Several sources linked the Beit Shemesh impact to rapid Iranian retaliatory strikes a day after U.S. and Israeli operations reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials.

Associated Press News

Tehran declared a period of mourning and Iranian officials warned the confrontation could intensify.

Outlets reported cross‑border and regional missile and drone barrages tied to the retaliation.

There are notable inconsistencies across accounts that should be flagged.

“At least nine people have been killed and 27 injured after an Iranian missile hit a residential neighbourhood in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, emergency services say”

BBC

Wounded and missing totals differ between outlets (20–30 injured versus 28).

BBC

Some sources describe a bomb shelter being hit while others specify a residential building.

Reporters raised concerns about sirens and shelter effectiveness.

Because the supplied reports vary, precise casualty totals and the exact nature of the struck structure remain unclear and may change as official investigations and rescue operations continue.