Two Dead After Iranian Ballistic Missile Destroys Residential Building in Haifa

An Iranian ballistic missile struck a seven-story residential building in the northern Israeli city of Haifa on Sunday evening, April 5, 2026, killing two people and leaving two others missing as rescue operations continued into Monday morning. Rescue teams from Magen David Adom and the Fire and Rescue Service extracted two bodies from the rubble, confirming the deaths after hours of searching. At least nine people received medical treatment, including an 82-year-old man in serious condition who was pulled conscious from beneath large concrete blocks, and a 10-month-old baby struck in the head. Two women aged 77 and 38 sustained lighter injuries from shrapnel and the blast. The missile struck the building around 18:00 local time (15:00 GMT), minutes after the Israeli army announced it had detected incoming fire from Iran. The strike was one of four missiles Iran fired on Sunday, with another hitting an industrial-chemical park near Beer Sheva in southern Israel.

Interception system failed despite sirens sounding in time Major General Shai Klapper, commander of the Home Front Command, confirmed at the scene during the night that warning sirens had functioned correctly but that the missile was not successfully intercepted. The Israeli army launched an investigation into the failure of the anti-missile system, according to The Times of Israel. Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy told reporters on Sunday that the missile's warhead apparently did not explode, prompting authorities to evacuate several buildings in the vicinity as a precautionary measure. „This is a complex situation that requires advanced rescue operations. We intend to act decisively, professionally, and thoroughly until the missing are found.” — Shai Klapper via Nasz Dziennik An AFP correspondent observed dozens of rescuers and firefighters working by the light of spotlights in the smoking ruins of the building, located in a residential neighborhood. The seven-story structure was described as almost totally destroyed in AFP images. One rescuer described the scene upon arrival. „When we arrived on the street, we saw a multi-story building that had been hit, with significant damage on site. Residents present told us that there were injured people trapped under the rubble on the lower floors.” — Shevach Rothenshtrych via Courrier international

82-year-old pulled from concrete, baby among the injured The most seriously injured victim, an 82-year-old man, was extracted from beneath heavy concrete debris and transported to hospital, where sources indicated his life was not in danger. Four additional people were treated for symptoms of anxiety at the scene, according to Italian broadcaster Rai News. Two women, aged 77 and 38, sustained minor injuries from shrapnel and the blast wave, while the 10-month-old infant was struck in the head. The rescue operation involved both civilian emergency services and Israeli military personnel, with the army assisting in the search for those still missing. On Monday morning, the Israeli military detected three further volleys of missiles from Iran, with alarms sounding in central parts of Israel; most were intercepted, and the remainder fell in open terrain, according to Nasz Dziennik.

Strike part of broader war ignited in late February The United States and Israel launched pre-emptive strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, in an operation that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to BBC and Reuters reporting. The strikes triggered a regional war in which Iran has retaliated by targeting Israeli cities and attacking countries in the Persian Gulf hosting U.S. military bases. Haifa, as a city of strategic importance in northern Israel, has repeatedly been targeted in attacks from Iran and from the Lebanese militant movement Hezbollah, which operates from Lebanese territory. U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have justified the strikes on Iran by citing the threat posed by Tehran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon, a claim the Iranian government denies. In retaliation, Iran has been striking Israeli territory and attacking oil and industrial infrastructure in the Persian Gulf region, with support from pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Israeli army has also intensified operations in Lebanon, including an invasion of the south, targeting Hezbollah positions. The Haifa strike represents one of the most lethal single missile impacts on an Israeli residential area since the conflict began, with a direct hit collapsing most of a seven-story building in a populated neighborhood. Operation Epic Fury set off a chain of retaliatory exchanges that have continued for more than five weeks, with both sides sustaining casualties and infrastructure damage.

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