Missile Damages Kiryat Gat Shul, Sefer Torah Intact

A fragment from an Iranian missile fell near Kiryat Gat, resulting in a fire and causing damage to a local shul, though the Sefer Torah was found intact. The blast was felt in the Chabad yeshiva of Kiryat Gat.

A fragment from an Iranian missile fell today in the Southern District, in a yishuv near Kiryat Gat. According to emergency and security reports, the missile debris landed in an open area and caused a fire near a shul, along with property damage. Despite the impact, the Sefer Torah in the shul was found completely intact.

Fire and Rescue Services reported receiving a call about the falling missile fragment, which they said caused “extensive damage” and a brush fire. Fire crews from the Kiryat Gat station were dispatched and began working at the scene. The impact was felt in the Chabad yeshiva of Kiryat Gat.

The police clarified that “this was a single fall of a military ordnance item,” which caused a shrapnel fragment to strike near a structure and ignite surrounding brush. Israel Police stated that they had received reports of falling ordnance in one of the communities in the district, as well as in open areas, and noted that while no injuries were initially reported, property damage did occur. Officers and bomb-disposal experts are continuing to secure the site and search for additional hazards.

United Hatzalah reported from the scene that “damage was caused to several nearby homes.” Tzvi Levi, a medic with the organization, said, “We treated a 39-year-old and a 50-year-old who were lightly injured by shrapnel and evacuated them to the hospital.” He added that United Hatzalah’s Choshen team was present and assisting those suffering from anxiety.

According to the same report, several vehicles caught fire, and the fire reached the area around the shul. While the building sustained some external damage, the Sefer Torah inside remained untouched. This was reported as an exceptional outcome by all responders.

The mayor of Kiryat Gat, Kfir Suissa, stated that “a real alert was heard in our area. Following a check we conducted, we confirm that there were no impacts inside Kiryat Gat itself.” He reiterated that the missile fragment had fallen in a neighboring community and not within city limits.

ZAKA Unit 360 emphasized that the damage was caused by missile shrapnel that landed in the yishuv outside the city. They said, “Great miracles occurred. Had there been even the slightest deviation, significant damage could have been caused inside Kiryat Gat.”

The IDF confirmed that earlier today, alerts were triggered in several parts of the country following missile launches from Iran toward Israel. The Air Force is responding with interception and strikes “wherever required to remove the threat.” Their statement noted that the defense system is “not hermetic,” and reiterated the need to follow Home Front Command instructions.

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