9 killed in direct missile hit on residential building near Jerusalem, rescuers say

Nine people were killed in a direct missile hit on a residential building near Jerusalem, first responders said on Sunday.

It marks the deadliest incident in Israel since Iran began retaliating with ballistic missile launches to a wave of joint US-Israel strikes on Saturday morning.

Nearly 30 people were injured in the strike on the city of Beit Shemesh, Magen David Adom (MDA) said, including two seriously injured.

“As a result of the direct hit, severe damage and collapse of the building occurred,” Israel police said in a statement. Video from the scene from MDA showed firefighters trying to douse flames and smoke rising from what appears to be a major impact site.

Israel has intercepted most of the Iranian missile launches since the fighting began, but the Israeli military has warned the public that the aerial defense systems are not guaranteed to stop every missile.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said search and rescue forces, along with medical teams, are working at the site of the impact. A helicopter has also been sent to the site for emergency evacuation.

This post has been updated with a new death toll.