Rescue teams race to find survivors after Iranian missile strike near Tel Aviv

Search and rescue operations were underway on the morning of June 14 in Rishon Lezion, just south of Tel Aviv, following a deadly Iranian missile strike that hit near a residential neighbourhood. Israeli police confirmed the attack, which left two people dead and 19 others injured.

A photo released by Israeli police shows officer Aviv Sarga carrying a baby away from the devastated area, Caliber.Az reports via US media.

Emergency workers described the scene as one of “extensive destruction,” with several buildings either damaged or completely destroyed.

According to Israel’s national emergency service, Magen David Adom (MDA), rescuers arrived to find victims both trapped under the rubble and walking wounded. “This was a difficult and complex scene,” the MDA said in a statement. “We are continuing to search to ensure no one remains trapped.”

The missile strike followed a dramatic escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran that began with Israel’s overnight military operation on June 13. That operation targeted Iranian nuclear and military facilities, and according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was launched to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Israeli airstrikes focused on strategic sites, including the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran’s Isfahan province. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that the above-ground portions of the site were 60% destroyed, including key parts of its electrical infrastructure. The strikes also killed several senior military commanders and prominent nuclear scientists.

In retaliation, Iran launched a major counteroffensive during the night of June 14, firing waves of missiles and drones at Israeli targets. One of the missiles struck central Israel, killing four civilians and injuring around 70 others. Fires and widespread structural damage were reported in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas, where emergency services spent hours clearing rubble and battling blazes.

Iran’s government said the retaliation included direct hits on Israel’s Ministry of Defence in Tel Aviv and several military installations.

That same night, Israel launched a second wave of strikes inside Iran. Explosions were reported once again in Tehran and Isfahan province. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed attacks on Iranian military bases in Hamedan and Tabriz, both located in the western part of the country. Iranian authorities reported at least 78 fatalities and more than 320 people wounded in the Israeli strikes.

By Tamilla Hasanova