An Iranian missile bearing a heavy warhead on Saturday night directly hit a building where Gur hasidim live in the southern city of Arad, after the IAF failed to intercept it.
Magen David Adom (MDA) reported that 75 people injured at the scene, suffering varying degrees of injury. It is believed that there are people missing and trapped, and rescue forces are operating at the scene.
Among the injured are some whose condition is serious and others whose condition is critical; there are also people trapped under the rubble. MDA reported that thus far, 68 people have been evacuated to Soroka Medical Center, among them 10 who are in serious condition and 13 whose condition is moderate; 48 who suffered light injuries, and four who suffered shock. Among the severely injured victims is a five-year-old girl; four of the victims were reported unconscious. Soroka Medical Center was alerted ahead of the victims' arrival, and helicopters were called to a helipad in Arad.
MDA Senior EMT Saar Shachori said: "This is a severe scene. We saw extensive destruction in several buildings, with thick black smoke rising from multiple locations, and there was a lot of chaos. Together with the many MDA teams that arrived, we began searching for injured people and set up a casualty treatment point near the scene. Using a megaphone, we called for injured individuals to come to the point, where we provided initial medical care, and those requiring hospital transport were evacuated via MDA ambulances and mobile intensive care units. Through the rubble, I noticed four injured people: a 4-year-old girl in serious condition, one in moderate condition, and two children in mild condition. They were frightened and called for help; I ran to them, assisted them out of the rubble, provided life-saving medical treatment, and transported them to the hospital."
MDA teams are also treating additional victims at the scene, and continuing to search for others who might be injured; the organization has declared a multi-casualty incident in the area.
Initial reports say that the missile between residential buildings, causing severe damage to four buildings and also damaging several nearby buildings.
Interceptors were fired towards the missile, and it is not clear why the missile was not intercepted.
Later, the IDF confirmed that an Iranian missile weighing 450 kilograms hit Arad directly after two attempts to intercept it failed.
The IDF reported that the Home Front Command Search and Rescue forces are operating at the site in southern Israel where reports of impact have been received, conducting searches and providing civilian assistance at the scene, and that "Israeli Air Force helicopters were dispatched to the scene to assist the civilian population in the area."
"The public is requested to avoid gathering in these areas," the IDF stressed. "The Home Front Command calls on the public to continue following the guidelines."
Following the missile strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "This has been a very difficult evening in the battle for our future. A short while ago, I spoke with Arad Mayor Yair Ma’ayan, and asked to convey, on behalf of all the citizens of Israel, our prayers for the recovery of the wounded."
"I have instructed the Director General of my office to provide the full necessary assistance together with all government ministries.
"I offer my support to the emergency and rescue forces currently operating on the ground, and I call upon everyone to follow Home Front Command instructions.
"We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts," he added.
Earlier on Saturday evening, 47 people were injured by an Iranian missile Saturday evening after it directly struck a building in the southern city of Dimona.
One of the victims, a ten-year-old boy, is in serious condition; a woman of about 30 suffered moderate injuries in the strike. The child's mother explained that her son had been on the way to the bomb shelter, but did not manage to reach it in time.
All of the victims were evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva.
According to Haaretz, analysis of one of the videos from the scene shows that the missile impacted approximately nine seconds after the siren sounded.