Firefighters Battle Inferno After Deadly Iranian Missile Strike in Petah Tikva | WATCH

On the night of June 15–16, 2025, Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting multiple locations in Israel, including Petah Tikva, Haifa, Bnei Brak, and Tel Aviv, in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, military infrastructure, and leadership that began on June 13. The missile strike in Petah Tikva hit a 20-story residential building, causing severe damage to the fourth and fifth floors. Surveillance footage captured a massive fireball upon impact, highlighting the missile’s destructive power.

The attack resulted in four civilian deaths in Petah Tikva. The victims were identified as Yaakov Belo (77), Hadassah Belo (77), Daisy Yitzhaki (85), and one unnamed individual whose identity was not released by June 17. A preliminary investigation by the IDF's Home Front Command revealed that the missile, a heavy ballistic missile, struck directly between two reinforced safe rooms (“mamad”). Two victims were inside one of these rooms, which are designed to protect against shrapnel and blast effects but not direct hits. Another victim was likely on a floor above the impact site, and the fourth was killed in a neighboring building by the blast wave.

Israeli firefighters from the Central District Fire and Rescue Service responded heroically, risking their lives to evacuate trapped civilians from the heavily damaged building. Powerful footage released by the service showed their efforts amidst debris and destruction. Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency service, reported nearly 100 injuries across central Israel, with 287 people hospitalized nationwide, including a newborn baby in Petah Tikva. One person was in serious condition, 14 were moderately injured, and the rest sustained light injuries or shock.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the attack used “new methods” to bypass Israel’s multilayered air defense systems, causing some missiles to hit their targets despite interceptions. Israeli authorities, including Petah Tikva Mayor Rami Greenberg, condemned the strike as a “cruel murder” of civilians, and President Isaac Herzog, visiting the site, described it as “pure evil” aimed at innocent people.

The strike also caused widespread fear, with residents describing dust trickling into their shelter during the explosion. Posts on X reflect the emotional toll, with one user noting their children were kept away due to fears of further strikes, given the missile’s ability to penetrate a safe room.

This incident was part of a broader conflict, with Iran launching over 100 missiles that night, killing eight Israelis total (four in Petah Tikva, three in Haifa, one in Bnei Brak) and injuring nearly 300. Israel’s ongoing offensive against Iran’s nuclear program and military targets, coupled with Iran’s retaliatory strikes, has fueled fears of a prolonged regional war.