A potentially deadly incident was narrowly avoided Monday morning in Kiryat Shmona after interceptor fragments slammed into the yard of a local resident’s home, causing extensive damage to an outdoor kitchen and storage area.
The debris struck the property of Ariela Eliyahu just seconds after she finished preparing sandwiches for her children and walked back inside the house. Speaking from the scene, Eliyahu, owner of the catering business “Big Mama," described the terrifying moments following the impact.
“I heard a huge explosion and saw the storage room blow up," she said. “I thank God, because if one of the children had been here, I don’t know what could have happened."
City spokesman Doron Shenfer toured the damaged property and remarked that Eliyahu had effectively “received her life as a gift" on her birthday. Shenfer also voiced sharp criticism over the apparent failure of the city’s warning systems.
“There were interceptions over targets in Lebanon, and some of the interceptor fragments landed here and caused severe damage," he said. “The question is - if interceptions are taking place over the skies of Kiryat Shmona, why wasn’t a siren activated?"
The strike caused major destruction in the yard, with the roof collapsing and much of the equipment inside the outdoor kitchen and storage room destroyed. Shenfer stressed that residents in northern Israel continue to face ongoing danger despite public perceptions of calm.
“There is no ceasefire here," he said. “There is continuous fire."
Despite the frightening incident, Eliyahu said she still sent her children to school, believing they would be safer there than at home.