A terrifying barrage of roughly 100 missiles launched from Iran rained down on Israel in the early hours of Monday morning, sending half-asleep residents running to shelters, killing at least eight victims, and injuring hundreds.

The large-scale attack, which began just before 4:00 a.m., resulted in direct strikes in multiple cities, including Tel Aviv, Petach Tikvah, Bnei Brak, and Haifa—the latter of which impacted an oil refinery, sparking a huge blaze.

MDA EMTs and paramedics pronounced the deaths of 4 people—2 women and 2 men, all approximately 70 years old—at impact sites in Petach Tikvah and Bnei Brak. Three of the fatalities in Petach Tikvah were found amid the rubble of a high-rise, and a fourth fatality was pulled from the rubble hours later, at about 9 a.m.

A man approximately 80 years old was found lifeless at the site of a missile strike in Bnei Brak. ZAKA was dispatched to the scene following reports of individuals trapped with serious concerns for their safety. After an extensive search, the man was located, but tragically, he was pronounced dead. Additionally, 21 people in Bnei Brak were injured, two moderately, and were evacuated to Maayanei HaYeshua Hospital.

Three additional fatalities were found at an impact site in a residential area in Haifa after hours of searching. The three were first reported as trapped, and contact with them was gradually lost. At about 9:30 a.m., the three were found and pronounced dead.

In Tel Aviv, residential areas also sustained direct missile hits, injuring over 100 people, including a 10-year-old boy who was seriously injured and a newborn baby.

A total of 287 injured victims from the various impact sites were hospitalized by Monday morning at 10 a.m., one in serious condition, 13 in moderate condition, 240 in light condition, and 11 who were suffering from shock. Another 25 had not yet been evaluated.

Israel Fire and Rescue Services confirmed that two high-rise residential buildings suffered direct hits in the assault. The force of the explosions shattered windows, ignited fires, and sent debris crashing through apartments. Eight rescue teams were dispatched to the scenes, working through the chaos and rubble to reach those trapped beneath the wreckage.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)