A kindergarten in Rishon Lezion was reportedly damaged on Saturday after a suspected cluster missile launched from Iran targeted the Gush Dan area in central Israel.
Initial reports suggest that shrapnel caused significant damage to the structure, with no direct missile impact reported. Magen David Adom (MDA) said a man in his 70s was lightly injured while making his way to a shelter. The Shamir Medical Center said a man in his 40's was treated for mild injuries sustained from a blast in Rishon Lezion.
The missile is believed to have weighed around 100 kilograms, according to Hebrew media, though this has not been officially confirmed. The incident appears to be another example of a splitting warhead, which has been used in previous missile strikes on central Israel.
Initial reports suggested over 20 impact sites across central Israel, including in Rishon Lezion, Bnei Brak, Shoham, and Rosh Ha'ayin. MDA later confirmed seven impact sites in Rishon Lezion, including two residential buildings.
The IDF said Home Front Command search and rescue forces were en route to the impact sites and urged the public to avoid gathering in these areas.
Education system in Rishon Lezion to remain closed, mayor says
“We will restore everything to its original state,” Rishon Lezion Mayor Raz Kinstlich said while visiting the site of the struck kindergarten on Saturday morning.
“The windows were blown out, with some landing on the other side of the street,” he said. “This is a kindergarten, a place where children were supposed to learn,” he continued, emphasizing that, fortunately, the children were not at the kindergarten during the strike, as schools are closed on Shabbat.
"There’s a hole in the ceiling. You can see it outside. Until I feel secure, the education system in Rishon Lezion will not return. I want to thank the residents for their discipline.”
Cluster bombs challenge Israel's missile defense shield
Iran has launched dozens of missiles with cluster munition warheads at Israel since the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion, posing a challenge for Israel's missile defense shield, as they need to be hit before they split and disperse into smaller explosives.
Cluster munitions open in mid-air and scatter as many as several hundred "bomblets" over a wide area. They often fail to explode, creating virtual minefields that can kill or injure anyone who finds them later.
Shrapnel hits Jerusalem's Old City
On Friday, sirens rang across the country as Iran launched a missile barrage targeting large areas in central Israel and the Jerusalem area. Shrapnel fell in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City and Rehovot, causing damage but no major injuries. MDA reported that an elderly woman was injured while running to the shelter, and another elderly man was treated for minor injuries in Rehovot.
Later, a second barrage hit Rehovot, injuring a woman and starting a fire in a building. Two others were treated for shrapnel injuries, and several others for panic-related causes. Shrapnel also fell in the Judean Foothills, with two people lightly injured.
In Haifa, shrapnel caused damage at the Bazan oil refinery, prompting controlled explosions over the weekend.
On Thursday night, additional missile strikes caused shrapnel damage in Jerusalem and northern Israel, but no casualties were reported.
Reuters and James Genn contributed to this report.
