Cluster Missile From Iran Kills Couple in Ramat Gan

An Iranian missile carrying cluster munitions struck central Israel early Wednesday, killing a married couple in their 70s in Ramat Gan and causing damage across multiple cities as bomblets scattered over a wide area.

The strike occurred during an overnight barrage that triggered sirens across central Israel, Jerusalem, the Shomron, Lachish and the Shfela. Emergency responders said the missile’s cluster warhead dispersed numerous smaller explosives, creating several impact scenes across the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

Police said the couple was found inside their apartment building just meters from a protected room, as they were not able to make it in time before the strike. Tel Aviv District Police Commander Haim Sargarof said rescue forces encountered multiple impact sites across the region. “We are dealing with a large incident with several scenes. We are at the most serious scene where there are two fatalities. They were found on the third floor and apparently did not manage to reach the safe room. They were only a few meters away.”

Emergency teams arriving at the building discovered the victims beneath debris inside the damaged apartment. Magen David Adom paramedics said the couple had suffered severe blast and shrapnel injuries and showed no signs of life when they were located.

Neighbor Chen Amir described the moment he emerged from his own safe room following the explosion. “When I opened the door two minutes later, thick smoke and the smell of burning filled the air. My home was damaged, but their apartment was hit much harder.”

The missile that struck central Israel was assessed to have carried a cluster warhead that releases multiple smaller explosives while still in the air. According to Israeli emergency responders, the submunitions can spread across a wide area and create numerous impact zones simultaneously.

Chaim Rafalowski, disaster management coordinator for Magen David Adom, said the weapons dramatically complicate emergency response operations. “The missile itself comes with a very large number of smaller bombs. It opens somewhere in midair and spreads the smaller bombs.” He added that the munitions can disperse over large distances. “They spread over about 10 kilometers. So one such missile will give us scenes where the cluster bombs landed in many places.”

Besides the fatal strike in Ramat Gan, authorities reported additional impact sites across central Israel, including Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak, Kafr Qassem and Rosh HaAyin. Magen David Adom said at least four people were lightly injured in those locations.

Shrapnel also damaged parts of Tel Aviv’s Savidor Central railway station. Israel Railways said sections of the station’s platforms were hit, forcing a temporary suspension of train service while crews inspected the damage. Shuttle service was later operating between Herzliya, Savidor Central and Ben Gurion Airport.

Emergency responders warned that unexploded missile fragments and bomblets can remain dangerous long after the initial strike. Simmy Allen, international spokesperson for United Hatzalah, urged civilians not to approach debris found at impact sites. “No one knows what is inside them. No one knows how dangerous they are.”

Iranian state media said the missile barrage targeting Tel Aviv was carried out in retaliation for the killing of Iranian officials including Ali Larijani and Basij militia commander Gholamreza Soleimani.

Despite the scale of the attacks, emergency organizations said adherence to civil defense guidelines has significantly reduced casualties. Allen said the public’s discipline in following Home Front Command instructions has played a critical role in protecting civilians. “The Israeli public is holding very strictly to the guidelines of the Home Front Command. Those guidelines have been proven to literally save lives.”