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Nine Israelis were killed and 27 others injured when an Iranian ballistic missile scored a direct hit on a municipal shelter in Beit Shemesh in western Jerusalem on Sunday, March 1, as the UAE reported three foreign workers killed after Iran launched a staggering 165 ballistic missiles and 541 drones at the country since Saturday.
The Beit Shemesh strike represents the deadliest single attack on Israel since Iran began its retaliatory campaign, with several people still missing as search and rescue operations continued at the site.
The daily Yedioth Ahronoth, citing Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service, reported that four of the 27 injured sustained critical injuries, including a young girl in serious condition.
The missile scored a direct hit on a municipal shelter with a synagogue situated above it. Interceptors were launched but missed the incoming missile, triggering investigations by both the Israeli Air Force and the Home Front Command.
The military said the warning alert was activated 1.5 minutes before impact.
The Home Front Command is now investigating whether the shelter was in proper condition, whether the door was closed, and whether the devastating outcome could have been prevented.
The Israeli military has opened both an Air Force and Home Front Command investigation into the interception failure and the shelter's readiness.
The UAE Ministry of Defense released a comprehensive accounting of the Iranian attacks since Saturday, revealing a massive combined assault:
Iran launched 165 ballistic missiles at the UAE, of which 152 were destroyed by air defenses, and 13 fell into the sea. Two cruise missiles were also detected and destroyed.
A total of 541 drones were launched, with 506 intercepted and 35 falling within UAE territory.
Three people, nationals of Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, were killed by Iranian drones that penetrated air defenses, and at least 58 others sustained minor injuries.
"Some debris fell in scattered areas of the country as a result of air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles and drones, leading to minor and moderate material damage in several civilian properties," the ministry said.
Debris from an intercepted Iranian drone damaged a complex in Abu Dhabi that houses the Israeli embassy and other diplomatic missions, the Abu Dhabi Media Office reported.
A woman and her child were injured in the incident, which damaged the facade of one of the Etihad Towers buildings, where several embassies are located.
The conflict, now in its second day, has produced mounting civilian casualties across multiple countries:
In Iran, the Red Crescent reported 201 dead and 747 injured from U.S.-Israeli strikes across 24 provinces.
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