Civilians who were inside bomb shelters in the building in Bat Yam that was struck

Civilians who were inside bomb shelters in the building in Bat Yam that was struck by an Iranian ballistic missile this morning were unharmed, a Home Front Command search and rescue official says.

Each floor in the apartment block has a shared bomb safe room, and the building also has an underground shelter.

The missile, which carried a warhead of hundreds of kilograms, directly struck the building, killing at least six people and wounding nearly 200. Seven people are still feared missing. Part of the building collapsed.

According to the Home Front Command official, everyone who was in shelters was unharmed, while all of the casualties were outside of the shelters.

The military has routinely emphasized that, as good as Israel's multi-layered air defenses are, they are not hermetic. It has urged Israelis to heed Home Front Command instructions to take shelter in safe rooms and bomb shelters when incoming missile warnings are received.