‘Like an atom bomb, an earthquake': Israeli witness describes Iran's attack on Tel Aviv

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6 hours ago

A missile strike by Iran on central Tel Aviv sparked panic and destruction, with witnesses likening the blast to an 'atom bomb' and 'earthquake.' The attack, part of a larger missile barrage, hit a busy district in Ramat Gan and intensified fears amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. read more
Tel Aviv reeled on Thursday morning after a missile fired by Iran struck the base of a high-rise building on Jabotinsky Street in Ramat Gan, just 200 metres from the city's diamond exchange district. Residents likened the force of the blast to a 'nuclear explosion' and an 'earthquake,' as the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran entered its sixth day.
The missile was part of a broader barrage of roughly 30 ballistic missiles launched by Iran, targeting central and southern Israel. Among the most serious hits was a direct strike on Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Israel's main hospital in the south, where dozens of people were reported wounded, six of them in serious condition.
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In Ramat Gan, locals described scenes of destruction and shock. A small pizza takeaway near the base of the skyscraper appeared to take the brunt of the impact, while nearby apartment blocks suffered severe damage. Windows across the district were shattered. Thankfully, there were no immediate reports of casualties in this particular strike, as residents, well-accustomed to sirens by now, rushed to shelters moments before impact.
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'It was like an atom bomb. An earthquake,' Asher Adiv, a 69-year-old resident who lives nearby, told the Guardian. Adiv, whose mother was an Iranian Jew from Isfahan, said he grew up speaking Farsi and felt a personal connection to the crisis. 'The Iranian people should make a revolution and kick out the ayatollahs,' he said. 'We are not just fighting for Israel. We are fighting for the whole world. We ask Trump to go inside and finish the problem.'
His wife, Anny, an immigrant from Morocco who has lived in Israel since 1969, echoed the call for international support, especially from the United States. 'Tell Donald Trump to be beside us. He has to bomb them to finish the nuclear sites,' she said. 'We are innocent citizens, but they threaten us all the time and say they want to kill us. We didn't have any choice. We saw what happened on 7 October.'
As first responders combed through rubble and cordoned off damaged streets, the broader sentiment among residents was one of resilience and resolve. 'Our people are strong and resilient,' Anny added. 'We will keep fighting and we will finish the Iran nuclear sites or they will finish us.'
The missile attack underscores the growing intensity of the Israel-Iran confrontation and the devastating toll it is taking on civilian life. As the United States weighs its next move, Israeli citizens like Asher and Anny brace for what comes next, amid shattered glass, shaken buildings, and unwavering defiance.
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