ICEJ Visits Ground Zero of Tragic Missile Hit in Beit Shemesh

ICEJ Visits Ground Zero of Tragic Missile Hit in Beit Shemesh

By Naomi Ammon

Israeli flags are everywhere. They are planted in the rubble of leveled houses and next to piles of blankets and house supplies that locals brought for their traumatized neighbors. They are zip-tied to construction poles that already signal Beit Shemesh is quickly rebuilding. The bright blue-and-white of Israel’s national flag, defiantly flying amid the destruction, offered a sharp contrast to the dust-covered debris at ground zero of Iran’s deadliest missile strike yet in the joint US-Israel war to topple the radical Islamic regime of Iran.

A zip-tied Israeli flag outside a leveled house — Israeli flag zip-tied outside Hannah’s leveled house

Walking towards the rubble is a group of volunteers — Israeli flag zip-tied outside Hannah’s leveled house

Soon after the hit, a group of ICEJ staff ventured out from our bomb shelters to pay a solidarity visit to Beit Shemesh, only 20 minutes from Jerusalem. Once on site, we witnessed the aftermath of the Iranian ballistic missile hit that demolished a synagogue and several nearby residential buildings on Sunday, killing 9 people and injuring 40 more.

Near the point of impact, we spoke with *Hannah. Her house, all her family memories, and everything she owns, are now a pile of mangled metal and broken concrete that residents and volunteers were digging through to salvage personal items.

We also met the grieving family of blast victim Gabriel Baruch Revach outside her doorstep as she and other family members were sitting shiva—the traditional Jewish week of mourning for a lost loved one. Characteristic of Israelis’ extraordinary hospitality and communal care in response to tragedy, we—complete strangers who had just met on the street—were invited into their home, where Gabriel’s family shared their precious son’s story.

Holding back tears, his mom explained how her 16-year-old son was running to the bomb shelter when the sirens sounded but he did not make it in time.

Outside of a destroyed house lay children's bikes — Children’s bikes piled outside a destroyed house

His older brother recalled Gabriel’s spiritual sensitivity and commitment to HaShem. “We all served in the army, but he wanted to study Torah,” the brother explained. “He was just a special boy like that.” Gabriel’s loss leaves their family with an unimaginable vacancy and pain.

Somehow, amid this immense loss, Beit Shemesh is already starting to recover. Local and foreign volunteers with Machal were helping to sort through and clear the rubble. Others offered support and a helping hand in the residents’ time of need. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were on the scene recording the heartbreaking story of Beit Shemesh for the world to hear. And most importantly, neighbors showed up for each other. Nobody is alone in Israel. Countless hands were held, bottles of water were passed, and blankets and hugs were shared as people continued the work of rebuilding.

Israel’s national anthem Hatikvah—”The Hope”—is more than the country’s national anthem. It is a national identity, and it lives in the hearts of the sons and daughters of Israel.