Early on June 24, 2025, under the cover of an Iranian salvo wave of missiles, a direct hit by a ballistic missile struck a seven-story residential complex in Beersheba, in the south of Israel. The strike shattered the thin-shelled ceasefire, established minutes earlier, and caused civilian fatalities and overall panic in what was until then assumed to be a safe city front home.
/*Direct Hit on Residential Building*/
Four civilians were officially declared dead by the Magen David Adom emergency services and local authorities, who included members of the same family taking cover in a secure safe room, and at least 20 others were wounded, ranging from moderately to lightly. Three others were rescued alive from the rubble by rescue crews, yet the building's secure rooms were not spared with preliminary investigations indicating the missile directly hit and destroyed at least one of the safe rooms.
/*Casualties Officially Confirmed*/
Israel Police Southern District Commander Chaim Bublil described the scene as "complex," with extensive structural collapse. Of the fatalities: Cpl. Eitan Zacks, 18, his mother Michal Zacks, 50, and his girlfriend Noa Boguslavsky, 18; the fourth victim was later identified as Naomi Shaanan, 73, a Beersheba resident killed in an adjacent apartment. Magen David Adom spokesman Dvir Ben Ze'ev detailed ground operations: "We saw tremendous destruction… performed medical checks, but unfortunately… pronounced them dead.".
/*Ceasefire Violation and Missile Stockpiling*/
The missile struck Beersheba at approximately 5:40 a.m., just minutes before a 7 a.m. U.S.-brokered ceasefire was scheduled to take effect. This direct hit occurred amidst multiple salvoes, with up to 20 ballistic missiles launched across Israel's south, center, and north. Although most were intercepted, the missile that ultimately leveled the apartment building successfully penetrated the Iron Dome defenses.
/*Emergency Response and Infrastructure Damage*/
Firefighters put out massive fires, with the IDF's Home Front Command assisting in evacuating residents in the area. The Soroka Medical Center, which was previously targeted in an Iranian attack, received ten injured patients, two seriously hurt, while 20 were lightly hurt and treated immediately on the site. Roads that led to the area were crowded with rubble and shattered glass as rescue operations progressed from one room to another.
/*Rising Tensions and What's Next*/
The surprise civilian casualties raised fears that a lasting ceasefire would remain elusive. Israeli officials vowed to retaliate if Iran violated the truce, with both sides initially promising to comply. As the window of diplomacy remains uncertain, Israel remains on guard, and emergency responders are ready to repel future missile alarms.