Iranian missile assault before Sabbath: 23 Israelis wounded in Haifa impact near mosque
Cluster warhead attack on Beersheva claims no victims
The Iranian regime launched 25 ballistic missiles at northern and southern Israel on Friday afternoon, as Israelis prepared for the Jewish Sabbath.
Contrary to initial reports, the impact in Haifa was the only major impact site in the attack. In Beersheva, the second reported use of an Iranian missile equipped with a cluster warhead caused widespread damage but resulted in no injuries.
Impacts from shrapnel parts from the interceptions were reported in Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Givatayim, Sakhnin, and other towns.
HAPPENING NOW — PLEASE PRAY! Very rare. The entire nation of Israel is racing to bomb shelters as a massive salvo of Iranian missiles are inbound. @all_israel_news pic.twitter.com/CjzV9IYGJr
— Joel C. Rosenberg (@JoelCRosenberg) June 20, 2025
The strike on Haifa injured 23 people, three of them seriously. In Karmiel, a 51-year-old woman suffered a fatal heart attack while sheltering in a bunker during the siren alerts, the Magen David Adom rescue agency reported.
In an unusual sequence, alarm sirens were first activated in northern Israel and then in the Beersheva region and Eilat, before the IDF Home Front Command issued a nationwide directive for the entire country to seek shelter for over half an hour.
The missile that strike Haifa exploded in close proximity to the Al-Jarina Mosque in the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced.
The Iranian regime launched a missile attack on Haifa and struck the Al-Jarina Mosque in the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood. The missile attack injured Muslim clerics who were in the mosque.
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 20, 2025
The Iranian regime is targeting Muslim, Christian, and Jewish civilians, as well as civilian… pic.twitter.com/aG9JRfyLP7
“The missile attack injured Muslim clerics who were in the mosque. The Iranian regime is targeting Muslim, Christian, and Jewish civilians, as well as civilian sites. These are war crimes. Noted,“ he wrote on 𝕏.
"This outrageous attack took place in Haifa – a city that stands as a symbol of coexistence between Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Circassians, and Bahá’ís," said Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
"They try to kill Israelis of all faiths – Muslims included. We will defend all Israelis. All faiths included."
אחת מזירות הנפילה בצפון | תיעוד >>>https://t.co/xuU14jJYSE pic.twitter.com/nQK3TZK0wQ
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 20, 2025
The mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav, reported: “Two strategic points in the city were hit by the Iranians,” without elaborating.
“The destruction is great, and so is the miracle,” Yahav added, calling on citizens to continue following safety instructions and to take shelter in case of an alarm siren.
This is footage from the moment an Iranian ballistic missile hit a children’s center in southern Israel.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 20, 2025
When the world asks why we’re fighting Iran, this is your answer: pic.twitter.com/UcdeYwsKjA
In addition to the mosque, the missile impact damaged nearby high-rise buildings, offices and commercial stores.
In Beersheva, post-attack footage revealed several small impact sites – including one at a daycare center –suggesting that a missile equipped with a cluster warhead was used, according to the Times of Israel.
Iran likely targeted Beersheba with a cluster bomb in its latest attack on Israel, footage shows.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 20, 2025
Videos and photos from the southern city show several impacts of small munitions at multiple locations in the city, indicating that a ballistic missile carrying a cluster bomb… pic.twitter.com/yPQqSXhbt8
“We are a strong people and we will win. We will strongly defend the citizens of Israel,” Defense Minister Katz declared following the attack.
Several hours later, shortly before the start of the Sabbath, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said in a message to the country: “We embarked on the most complex campaign in our history - in order to remove a threat of this magnitude, against such an enemy, readiness for a sustained campaign is required.”
“The IDF is prepared for this – more challenging days await us,” he warned.
“We embarked on the campaign when Iran had about 2,500 missiles; we destroyed about half of the missile launchers – some only minutes before launch,” Zamir said.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
