As dawn broke over Israel on Wednesday, the extent of the damage from the unprecedented missile assault by the Iranian regime became more apparent.
Three Israelis were lightly wounded by shrapnel, while a Palestinian man from Gaza was killed when a large piece of an intercepted rocket fell on him in Jericho.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari stated that most of the 190 ballistic missiles launched from Iran were intercepted, although several impacted central and southern Israel.
Reports indicated that the strikes occurred near an Air Force base, likely Nevatim, which houses the IAF’s advanced F-35 squadron, as well as near the IDF’s Intelligence base at Glilot and the nearby Mossad headquarters. A military official confirmed that none of the missiles directly hit the Glilot compound, while footage from Israeli television showed a large crater in a nearby open area.
In Gedera, close to the Tel Nof airbase, a school sustained a direct hit and was severely damaged. IDF Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, head of the Home Front Command, inspected the site overnight. Rabbi Eliyahu Krichevsky, director of the school’s network, noted the miraculous timing, as hundreds of students had been learning about Rosh Hashanah just hours earlier.
The municipality of Hod Hasharon, adjacent to the Glilot compound, reported that around 100 homes were damaged in the attack, with some suffering significant destruction. Mayor Amir Kochavi emphasized the severity of the damage, stating that many additional homes were affected on the outskirts. He praised residents for following safety instructions, which helped prevent injuries despite the scattering of shrapnel.
Irit Zabari, a resident of Hod Hasharon, described how a shrapnel fragment struck near her front door. With no emergency room in her home and a husband with mobility issues, they remained in an inner room during the incident.
She quickly reported the damage to the municipal hotline, and security teams arrived promptly to remove the shrapnel. Zabari urged residents to remain in protected areas for ten minutes after alarms cease, calling it a life-saving precaution.