Iranian Missile Fired after US Strikes Causes Heavy Damage but Few Injuries in Tel Aviv
At an impact site in Tel Aviv, the blast had sheared off the face of a multistory residential building and damaged several others — including a nursing home — in a radius of hundreds of meters (yards). But few people were wounded, as many residents had been evacuated and others made it to bomb shelters.
Deputy Mayor Haim Goren, who assisted at the scene, said it was nevertheless 'miraculous' that more people were not hurt. Relatives and health aides helped residents — many with wheelchairs or walkers — to leave the nursing home, where windows were blown out up to the top on the 11th floor.
'It's like a typhoon came through my apartment,' said Ofer Berger, who lives near the impact site on the seventh floor of a high-rise. 'All of the apartments in this area are destroyed,' he said.
Emergency services said one person was moderately wounded by shrapnel in Sunday's missile barrage while dozens of others were lightly injured.
Berger said he hoped the war with Iran would end soon. 'Most of the tit-for-tat strikes like this end with a lot of tears,' he said.
Residents sat with their pets and suitcases outside the damaged buildings. One person sat next to a shopping cart filled with Buddha statues and a child's bicycle.
Families gathered what they could and stepped gingerly around piles of glass and twisted metal. Dozens of volunteers from an organization called 'One Heart' showed up to help residents salvage their belongings.
Strikes have displaced more than 9,000 people from their homes since the start of the war, according to the Israeli military. Missiles have damaged 240 residential buildings, including more than 2,000 individual apartments.
Mira Goshen, 79, said her entire apartment was destroyed.
'My mamad was shaking like a leaf, and I thought it was the end of the world,' Goshen said, referring to the reinforced safe rooms that are required in all new construction. She said the shelter had saved her life. In some areas where entire homes were flattened, the reinforced rooms stood intact.
Goshen's pet bird, Chica, survived an 11-story drop when her cage was knocked off the balcony by the explosion. A rescuer retrieved her, and she was trembling and burrowing into Goshen's neck hours later as Goshen spoke with neighbors and authorities outside her building.
Hours later, municipality workers worked to sweep up the the shattered glass and remove debris, while others handed out sandwiches and water at an aid station.
Several businesses on a nearby street had their windows blown out, and the stores were littered with broken glass amid baked goods, children's clothes and books. Workers at a supermarket stacked crates of fruit in front of a shattered front window and opened for shoppers, who packed the aisles.
Residents appeared calm in the aftermath of Sunday's strike, but Goren said the nightly barrages, the frantic running to shelters and the close confines inside them are taking a toll.
'There's a lot of stress and pressure building, lots of nerves,' the deputy mayor said. Mutual aid groups are working around the clock to match families in need with shelters and support, and the municipality is working to convert parking garages, bus stations and train stations to temporary shelters.
Goshen said she was more focused on where she would go next than on the U.S. strikes on Iran and their aftermath.
'I'm far away from politics, and what I think, it doesn't matter actually, because they don't listen to ordinary people,' she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
a day ago
- The Mainichi
Hiroshima marks 80 years since atomic bombing as aging survivors worry about growing nuke threat
HIROSHIMA (AP) -- Hiroshima on Wednesday marked the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the western Japanese city, with many aging survivors expressing frustration about the growing support of global leaders for nuclear weapons as a deterrence. With the number of survivors rapidly declining and their average age now exceeding 86, the anniversary is considered the last milestone event for many of them. "There will be nobody left to pass on this sad and painful experience in 10 years or 20 years," Minoru Suzuto, a 94-year-old survivor, said after he kneeled down to pray at the cenotaph. "That's why I want to share (my story) as much as I can." The bombing of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, destroyed the city and killed 140,000 people. A second bomb dropped three days later on Nagasaki killed 70,000. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, ending World War II and Japan's nearly half-century of aggression in Asia. Mayor says world should have learned from tragedy Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui warned against a growing acceptance of military buildups and of using nuclear weapons for national security during Russia's war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Mideast, with the United States and Russia possessing most of the world's nuclear warheads. "These developments flagrantly disregard the lessons the international community should have learned from the tragedies of history," he said. "They threaten to topple the peacebuilding frameworks so many have worked so hard to construct." He urged younger generations to recognize that such "misguided policies" could cause "utterly inhumane" consequences for their future. "We don't have much time left, while we face a greater nuclear threat than ever," said Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese grassroots organization of survivors that won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for its pursuit of nuclear abolishment. "Our biggest challenge now is to change, even just a little, nuclear weapons states that give us the cold shoulder," the organization said in its statement. Prayers, tributes and hope About 55,000 people, including representatives from a record 120 countries and regions, including Russia and Belarus, attended the ceremony. A minute of silence was held while a peace bell rang out at 8:15 a.m., the time when a U.S. B-29 dropped the bomb on the city. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the city's mayor and other officials laid flowers at the cenotaph. Dozens of white doves, a symbol of peace, were released after the mayor's speech. Hours before the official ceremony, as the sun rose over Hiroshima, survivors and their families started paying tribute to the victims at the Peace Memorial Park, near the hypocenter of the nuclear blast 80 years ago. Kazuo Miyoshi, a 74-year-old retiree, came to honor his grandfather and two cousins who died in the bombing and prayed that the "mistake" will never be repeated. "We do not need nuclear weapons," Miyoshi said. "There is hope," U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement read by Izumi Nakamitsu, U.N. Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, noting Nihon Hidankyo's Nobel Peace Prize and countries' re-commitment to a nuclear free world in "the Pact for the Future" adopted last year. Guterres stressed the importance to carry forward the survivors' testimony and message of peace and added: "Remembering the past is about protecting and building peace today and in the future." Near Hiroshima's iconic Atomic Bomb Dome under high security, more than 200 protesters gathered, holding posters and flags carrying messages such as "No Nuke, Stop War" and "Free Gaza! No more genocide" while chanting slogans. Local police said two people were arrested in separate cases, each on suspicion of assaulting a security guard. Survivors want nuclear abolishment, not deterrence Wednesday's anniversary comes at a time when possession of nuclear weapons for deterrence is increasingly supported by the international community, including Japan. Some survivors said they were disappointed by President Donald Trump's recent remark justifying Washington's attack on Iran in June by comparing it to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the mild response from the Japanese government. "It's ridiculous," said Kosei Mito, a 79-year-old former high school teacher who was exposed to radiation while he was still in his mother's womb. "I don't think we can get rid of nuclear weapons as long as it was justified by the assailant." In the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday that he was praying that the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima "will serve as a call to the international community to renew its commitment to pursuing peace for our own human family." Japan seeks US nuclear protection Japan's government has rejected the survivors' request to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons or attend its meetings as observers because it is under the protection of the U.S. nuclear umbrella. Matsui, the city's mayor, in his speech Wednesday, urged Japan's government to sign and ratify the nuclear weapons ban treaty, a request also made by several groups of survivors in their meeting with Ishiba after the ceremony. Ishiba, in a speech, reiterated his government's pledge to work toward a world without nuclear weapons, but did not mention the treaty and again indicated his government's support for nuclear weapons possession for deterrence. At a news conference later Wednesday, Ishiba justified Japan's reliance on U.S. nuclear deterrence, saying Japan, which follows a non-nuclear principle, is surrounded by neighbors that possess nuclear weapons. The stance, he said, does not contradict Japan's pursuit of a nuclear-free world. Past prime ministers have stressed Japan's status as the world's only country to have suffered nuclear attacks and have said Japan is determined to pursue peace, but survivors say it's a hollow promise. The Japanese government has only paid compensation to war veterans and their families, even though survivors have sought redress for civilian victims. They have also sought acknowledgment by the U.S. government of its responsibility for the civilian deaths.
The Mainichi
a day ago
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Japan must lead global push for nuclear abolition on 80th anniv. of A-bombings
At a time when the world is once again shrouded in nuclear fear, it is more important than ever to reaffirm a simple truth: Weapons capable of destroying humanity must never be used again. Eighty years have passed since the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the final days of World War II. On Aug. 6 in Hiroshima and Aug. 9 in Nagasaki, prayers for the victims will be offered once more. At ground zero in both cities, intense heat incinerated people and the blast flattened buildings. By the end of 1945, about 210,000 lives had been lost to the attacks. Radiation continued to ravage survivors' bodies. The death toll has since surpassed 500,000 as more victims succumbed over the years. Even today, some who fell ill are still not officially recognized as atomic bomb survivors. The suffering is far from a thing of the past. Rising risk of nuclear use "Everyone's lives were taken like insects. It was worse than hell," said Michiko Hattori, now 96. Hattori was a 16-year-old nurse apprentice in Hiroshima when she witnessed the horror of the A-bomb firsthand. She worked at a military medical unit near the blast center, tending to the wounded. She recalls people with swollen faces from severe burns, others with skin hanging from their hands. Medical supplies were scarce, and many died in agony. Determined to pass on her experience, Hattori has spent nearly half a century as a storyteller. "I hope for true peace where there is no need to talk about the atomic bomb experience," she says. Hattori feels more people are listening intently now. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has set new attendance records for two consecutive years, with many foreign visitors. Interest is clearly growing. Russia's nuclear threats since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine have been a turning point. For the first time since the end of the Cold War, the risk of nuclear war has become real again, and people driven by anxiety are perhaps seeking to learn about the realities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since the Ukraine war began, nuclear-armed states have repeatedly engaged in provocative military actions. Tensions are escalating. Russia has deployed nuclear weapons to neighboring Belarus and signaled its willingness to use them. The United States has strongly condemned this and warned of possible retaliation. An Israeli Cabinet minister has threatened a nuclear attack against Hamas. India fired a missile near Pakistan's nuclear command center. North Korea, developing new nuclear weapons, has declared a policy of "preemptive nuclear use." The U.S. bombed Iran, which possesses weapons-grade enriched uranium. A growing concern is that worsening security environments are fueling a "nuclear for nuclear" approach. In Europe, discussion has begun on establishing a new "nuclear sharing" system for joint management and operation of nuclear weapons led by France. In the Middle East, there are warnings that Arab states hostile to Iran may pursue nuclear development. In East Asia, more South Koreans are supporting nuclear armament. Even Japan, which holds to its Three Non-Nuclear Principles, is not immune. After Russia's invasion, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe raised the idea of nuclear sharing with the U.S., sparking controversy. In the upper house election this past July, some candidates openly advocated for nuclear armament. If more countries come to rely on nuclear weapons, the current nonproliferation regime will collapse. International order will become even more chaotic, and it is inevitable that the world will be a far more dangerous place. Passing on memories, building peace The lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are not to preserve nuclear weapons by relying on their mighty power, but to imagine the devastation they cause and work for their abolition. The number of nuclear warheads has fallen from some 70,000 at the height of the Cold War to about 12,000 today. Fear of nuclear war drove disarmament. How can we break the cycle of unchecked arms races driven by nuclear deterrence and change the course of history once again? Nuclear weapons have become morally unusable. This is the "nuclear taboo" advanced by American political scientist Nina Tannenwald. She argues that leaders' fear of catastrophic humanitarian consequences has led them to refrain from using nuclear weapons, and that this restraint has helped avert nuclear war. The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, reportedly receives requests from around the world to send atomic bomb storytellers. We must continue to pass on the memory of the tragedy and uphold the "nuclear taboo." Next year will be a milestone for nuclear disarmament. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the U.S. and Russia will expire, and meetings on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons are scheduled. How can humanity chart a path to a world without nuclear weapons? Japan must take the lead in global discussions to pull the world back from the brink of nuclear war.
Yomiuri Shimbun
a day ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Utility Workers in Peru Unearth Pre-Incan Tomb with 1,000-year-old Remains
LIMA (AP) — Utility workers excavating trenches to expand underground gas networks in Peru's capital unearthed two pre-Incan tombs on July 31. One was empty, but the other held the 1,000-year-old remains of an individual, alongside four clay vessels and three pumpkin shell artifacts. This isn't the first time Calidda, the company that distributes natural gas in Lima, has found archaeological remains. Over more than two decades of excavation work to expand the underground network, the company says it has made more than 2,200 discoveries. According to archaeologist Jose Aliaga, the vessels' iconography and their black, white and red colors 'allow us to establish a connection with the pre-Incan Chancay culture, which is approximately 1,000 to 1,470 years old.' Aliaga told The Associated Press that the individual was found wrapped in a torn bundle, in a sitting position with his legs against his chest, and his team will continue cleaning the remains. 'Lima is unique among Latin American capitals,' Aliaga said, 'in that various archaeological finds are unearthed during nearly every civil project.' The Peruvian capital, a city of 10 million people, has more than 400 archaeological sites from the Inca era, the 15th century, or earlier, from the pre-Inca period, according to the Ministry of Culture. On the same day, passersby stopped in their tracks to observe the burial site, even taking out their cellphones to take a picture. 'I always thought they were paths where no one had lived,' said Flor Prieto, who was walking with her 7-year-old daughter. 'But now I know that people older than the Incas have lived there … it feels so exciting.' 'It is very common to find archaeological remains on the Peruvian coast, including Lima, mainly funerary elements: tombs, burials and, among these, mummified individuals,' said Pieter Van Dalen, dean of the College of Archaeologists of Peru. Van Dalen was not involved in the July 31 discovery.
