An Anash family in Arad narrowly escaped disaster on Motzei Shabbos after an Iranian missile struck just meters from their home, leaving their apartment heavily damaged.

The Eldin family, residents of a second-floor apartment in a building near the impact site, had been inside the very rooms that were later destroyed. The mother was home with her five young children—the oldest just eight years old—while the father is currently serving in reserve duty.

Moments before the strike, as sirens sounded across the city, the family rushed to the building’s shelter. That decision saved their lives.

Lubavitcher journalist Mendy Rizel, who serves as a desk commander for the Chareidi sector in the Southern District of the Home Front Command, was at the scene and documented the aftermath. Photos show the second floor of the building severely damaged, while the shelter on the lower level remained intact.

“The shelter withstood the blast of a missile carrying a warhead of hundreds of kilograms that struck about five meters away,” Rizel reported.

Penina Eldin, whose home was destroyed, described the terrifying moments in an interview.

“We heard an explosion, and then everything went dark,” she said. “It was a miracle. Two rooms in our apartment were hit, and there was massive destruction. We can’t even go inside to see the damage. Those who were injured were people who were not in shelters.”

Arad Mayor Yair Maayan described the scene of the impact, noting how close the city came to a far worse tragedy.

“The missile landed in the center of a garden surrounded by eight buildings,” he said. “Visually, it looks very severe because of the extensive damage, but Baruch Hashem, the buildings themselves did not collapse. This could have ended in a much greater disaster.”

He stressed the critical importance of following Home Front Command instructions.

“Unfortunately, at least 75 people who were not in protected spaces were injured,” Maayan said. “It’s possible that earlier alerts during the day that didn’t result in sirens led people to become complacent. But I can say with full confidence: there were no injuries among those who entered protected areas.”

For one Chabad family, it was the difference between life and death.