Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims of possible negotiations with Iran, the conflict continued to intensify, as an Iranian ballistic missile struck the southern Israeli city of Arad, leaving 115 people wounded but no reported fatalities in what police described as a “very big miracle”.
According to reports, distress calls flooded emergency radio channels following the strike, with messages such as “Many children under the rubble, come help” and “Several incidents in Arad,” reflecting the chaos at the scene.
Police and rescue teams arriving at the site launched immediate search operations, combing through debris to locate those trapped. Witnesses described scenes of panic, including reports of a child being thrown from a fourth-floor apartment during the blast.
Sgt. Maj. Aharonov, among the first responders at the scene, said initial fears for a missing child were later eased. “We searched inside the house, and then I heard that contact had been made with the child he was found,” he said, according to N12.
Even as he worked amid the destruction, Aharonov said concern for his own family remained constant, as they also live in Arad. “While I was operating at the scene, I needed to make sure my home was safe and that the people close to me were okay,” he said. “It’s always at the back of your mind.”
Emergency responders searched shelters, checked damaged buildings, and evacuated residents amid fears of structural collapse, while assisting elderly and vulnerable civilians out of the area.
Despite the scale of destruction and the high number of injuries, no deaths were reported an outcome authorities described as a “very big miracle”.
The strike underscores the ongoing intensity of the Iran–Israel conflict, where active military exchanges continue even as diplomatic signals emerge, raising uncertainty over whether the situation will escalate further or move toward de-escalation.