At least eight people were killed when a missile directly struck a residential building in Beit Shemesh, located around 35km from Jerusalem, according to rescue officials on Sunday.
The incident has taken the total number of fatalities in Israel since Saturday, following missile attacks from Iran, to at least nine.
The missile hit a populated neighbourhood, severely damaging a public bomb shelter and nearby homes. Emergency responders said two people, including a young girl, remain in critical condition.
Around 20 others suffered light to moderate injuries, among them a four-year-old boy, the national emergency service Magen David Adom reported.
Firefighters continued search operations amid fears that some residents may still be trapped under debris. Several dozen surrounding houses also sustained damage in the blast.
The escalation follows joint military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran early Saturday. The Israel Defence Forces said an airstrike in Tehran killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since the joint operation began, Israel has faced sustained and heavy missile fire.
The development comes amid ongoing US and Israeli strikes on the Iranian capital, after the countries carried out a joint attack on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Several senior military and political figures have been killed by Israel and the US since the two countries began striking Iran on Saturday morning. Donald Trump said 48 leaders had been killed.
Amid Iran’s decision to strike targets ranging from the world-famous Fairmont hotel in Dubai to Jebel Ali port, other analysts warned that the Gulf could be pushed into closer alignment with the US the longer the war dragged on.
