Beit Shemesh:
The silence around a shattered synagogue in Beit Shemesh is broken only by the sound of rescue crews still clearing debris weeks after what Israeli authorities describe as one of the deadliest Iranian missile strikes on civilians during Operation Roaring Lion.
The synagogue, once packed with worshippers and families, now lies in ruins after a direct ballistic missile strike on March 1. According to Israeli officials, nine civilians who had taken shelter inside were killed.
Standing amid collapsed walls, broken prayer halls and damaged homes, Israel International Police Spokesperson Dean Elsdunne, in an exclusive interview with NDTV’s Aishvarya Jain, accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilians.
“We are in the heart of a residential town. This is not a military base,” Elsdunne said while pointing towards the destroyed synagogue complex.
Israeli authorities said the attack took place during Operation Roaring Lion, when Iran allegedly launched ballistic missiles towards multiple civilian areas in Israel.
“There were women, children and elderly people here. It was absolute chaos after the strike,” the spokesperson said. “Emergency teams, firefighters, K9 units and medical responders rushed here immediately to save whoever they could.”
According to Israeli officials, a costume party involving several children was underway inside the synagogue premises when the missile struck. The blast damaged homes across multiple blocks in the neighbourhood.
Elsdunne also claimed that some of the missiles used in the attack carried cluster-style warheads designed to increase destruction in populated areas.
“They say they target military sites. I ask again, does this look like a military base?” he told NDTV.
The Israeli police spokesperson further said the attack reflected what he described as a larger pattern of strikes aimed at residential communities.
Asked about Israel’s aerial defence systems, he said the focus should remain on why civilian areas were being targeted.
“Israel wants peace and relations with all its neighbours. Israel’s war is not with the people of Iran, Lebanon or Gaza. It is against the Iranian regime and its proxies that seek to destroy Israel,” he said.
The Beit Shemesh strike has now emerged as one of the most prominent civilian attack sites being highlighted by Israeli authorities amid the escalating regional conflict.
