Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the site of the Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, which resulted in the deaths of six civilians, three missing individuals, and dozens of injured.

Netanyahu toured the site and received a briefing from the teams working amid the rubble, where search efforts are still underway to locate anyone trapped.

“I am here in Bat Yam with Home Front Command and rescue forces. On behalf of the entire people of Israel, I express sorrow over the loss of life that occurred here. Our hearts are with the families. It is necessary and vital to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command, because those who listened and stayed in protected areas were saved. Those who did not—unfortunately, were harmed,” the Prime Minister stated,

“We are here because we are in an existential battle, one that every citizen of Israel now understands. Think about what would happen if Iran had nuclear weapons to drop on Israeli cities.

“Think about what would happen if Iran had 20,000 such missiles. Not one—20,000. This is an existential threat to Israel. That is why we have launched a war of rescue against a dual annihilation threat, and we are doing so with strength. Our soldiers, our pilots, are above the skies of Iran. Iran will pay a very heavy price for the murder of civilians, women, and children—a deliberate act. We will achieve our objective and deal them a powerful blow. They will feel the weight of our response. Until then, and during this war, I ask you, citizens of Israel, to follow the Home Front Command’s instructions. It will save your lives.

‘And you shall greatly guard your souls’—guard your soul, guard your body, guard your life—and together, with God’s help, we will prevail. We are on the path to victory,” Netanyahu said.

President Isaac Herzog also arrived with First Lady Michal Herzog, and addressed the media who were at the scene.

In his remarks, President Herzog said: “Civilians of all ages, all backgrounds- Jews and Muslims, young and old, veteran Israelis and new immigrants, Holocaust survivors and toddlers, were unfortunately, and so sadly, killed by a horrendous Iranian attack against our cities.

“Iran has decided that they are attacking civilians, no matter where, and no matter what. And we, of course, will continue to defend ourselves.

“Our aim is to change the reality in the Middle East. It cannot be that the empire of evil will continue to attack and attack, send its proxies and its terror, its missiles, and of course, develop nuclear capability, which is the most dangerous capability for humanity. So we are defending not only Israel, but the Middle East, humanity itself, world peace, and I call upon the leaders of the G7 who will convene tomorrow in Canada: They should all be with us, because if you want to get the nukes out, better work together, with us, and make sure that Iran does not reach its capability – and that our region can move to peace and dialogue and coexistence and rapprochement.“

In the missile attack, six people were murdered: a woman around 60 years old, a woman around 80, a woman around 50, a young man about 18, a boy about 10, and a girl about 8. The Home Front Command reported that it was a direct hit by a missile weighing several hundred kilograms.

The building had protected rooms (mamad) on each floor and an underground shelter. Everyone who was in the protected areas was able to walk out uninjured. The casualties were outside the protected areas at the time of the impact. The Home Front Command estimates that handling the incident will take at least another day.

Rescue teams are continuing to search for three missing individuals, after four people who had been unaccounted for were located at a hospital following hours of searches.

Bat Yam Mayor Tzvika Brot described the scene at the Iranian missile strike: “Even before most of the rescue forces arrived, the road here was littered with metal,” he said from the scene. “Dust covered all the vehicles and people were lying in the street—scenes reminiscent of the Twin Towers disaster.”

He added, “Right now, 61 buildings have been damaged, of which six or seven will likely have to be demolished—and that number may rise to double digits. It’s quite unprecedented to have to demolish this many buildings from a single strike. Unfortunately, the evacuation is still not complete. We expect the number to rise. We know there are still people trapped, and we hope there aren’t many.”