The community of Beit Shemesh braved the sirens to bury some of its dead on Monday, less than a day after an Iranian missile smashed into the city killing nine people and injuring more than 20 more.
One of the first to be identified – and buried – was Ronit Elimelech, who was herself a volunteer emergency responder living in Beit Shemesh.
A funeral for her mother Sarah, also among the dead, was due to take place too. Ronit, a 45-year-old single mother, is survived by her three children, all of whom were also injured in the early afternoon attack and are still receiving treatment.
She was described by United Hatzalah, Israel’s biggest volunteer-based emergency response service as “a friend. A colleague. A Hero in Orange.”
In a statement published on its website, the organisation said: “For several agonising hours after the strike, Ronit was listed as missing. Rescue teams searched relentlessly through the wreckage until confirmation came that she and her mother were among those who had [been] killed.”
The city, which is around 30km west of Jerusalem, was the scene of the worst casualties in Israel since Operation Roaring Lion launched on Saturday morning.
In addition to those killed, many of whom had thought they were protected while gathering in a public shelter, around 30 were injured. They were transferred to hospitals in the Jerusalem area.
An official announcement by the Beit Shemesh municipality identified the others declared dead as Bruria Gloria Cohen and her son Yossi; Oren Katz, Gavriel Baruch Ravach; and siblings Yaakov, Avigail and Sara Biton.
Responders from United Hatzalah who rushed to the scene on Sunday were confronted with widespread destruction following the direct missile impact.
But in the initial chaos, none was aware that one of those missing – and later declared dead – was from their own ranks.
A statement issued by the organisation today said of Elimelech: “A devoted mother of three and a dedicated volunteer medic, she served her community with unwavering commitment, responding to emergencies in Beit Shemesh and beyond. She is survived by her children and extended family.”
Elimelech, who was an emergency medical technician (EMT), was laid to rest by family and friends, and a host of volunteers from the life-saving organisation, who included its president and founder Eli Beer.
Upon hearing the tragic news, he said: “Our hearts are shattered. Ronit represented everything noble about volunteerism and emergency medicine. She combined professionalism with profound compassion.
“Even in her final moments, as she hurried with her family toward shelter, her medical kit and vest were beside her.
“That instinct to serve never left her. We have lost an extraordinary medic and a beloved member of our family.”
Last month, on a visit to Israel shortly the current conflict, Beer had told the JC his team were on “high alert” in anticipation of an attack.
The area of Beit Shemesh hit by the missile was an older part of the city occupied largely by religious and working-class residents, according to Rabbi Michael Zaroovabeli, a British citizen who lives there with his family.
The 43-year-old, originally from Mill Hill, north London was with his wife and their six children in the safe room of their home when the rocket struck.
“We could hear the bangs,” Zaroovabeli, who runs tours of the area, told the JC.
“It definitely felt like something had happened close by. Usually the rockets are intercepted but it felt different this time.
“Unfortunately we’ve got used to this kind of thing here in Israel, especially since October 7.”
He said that his wife teaches in a school near the affected area and that one of her pupils lost his father in the attack.
“People’s homes were also completely destroyed,” said Zaroovabeli who is a Jewish educator and blogger.
He said that nevertheless, many were trying to mark the festival of Purim in whatever way possible – even by just having their children dress up in their shelters and safe rooms.
“Obviously it’s always a very happy time because of Purim but also people are worried because of the casualties and many have family members who have been called up to the army.”
On Monday, the southern city of Beer Sheva suffered a significant strike, although there were no fatalities. According to Magen David Adom, there were 60 casualties, with one person left with moderate injuries and the others lightly hurt.
The rocket impacts in the past few days have come as Iran indiscriminately fires at civilian areas in violation international law. Israel and the US are waging a targeted military operation on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure.
The vast majority of the hundreds of missiles fired into Israel since the conflict began on Saturday have been intercepted by its missile defence systems, including Iron Dome.
Vered Atzmon Meshulam, a psychologist and head of the resilience division at Zaka.org who attended the scene at Beit Shemesh, said: “My role on the ground was acute stabilisation and early psychological intervention.
“After operational duties were completed, I gathered responders in small groups. We focused on nervous system regulation through controlled breathing and grounding techniques.
“I facilitated brief emotional processing, encouraging them to name their emotional states without re-exposing themselves to graphic detail.
“One responder described feeling initially numb and then flooded with intrusive imagery.
“Another spoke about the tension between professional functioning and the moment he realised children were among the victims.”
On Saturday night, a woman was killed in Tel Aviv after a missile ploughed into a residential building.
Many of the neighbouring apartment blocks were impacted, with varying degrees of damages. Residents have been relocated to nearby hotels, with little indication of when – or indeed if – they might be allowed to move back home.
One affected resident, who asked not to be named, told the JC she was in a public shelter close to the block of flats she lives in with her son when the missile hit.
She said: “During the last war when we went down to the shelter it felt close [to a rocket explosion] and we heard it very loudly, which was stressful. But this time it was such a big bang that you couldn’t mistake it.
“Usually when you’re in the shelter and hear booms people always discuss whether it was intercepted or whether it hit.
“This time there was no doubt that it hit and that it was really really close, even though we were in a shelter three floors underground, we heard it very loudly.”
Once the coast was clear she and her son returned to their building.
“The flat was in a terrible state,” she said. “The shutters were blown off and the windows were shattered.
“Even though we’ve all heard the stories and seen the pictures from previous attacks, I could never have imagined how scary it felt.
“Not only because of how close the missile fell but of how much destruction it caused and that our home was no longer habitable.
“It was terrible, much worse than I could have ever imagined.”
Psychologist Meshulam said: “For civilians whose homes were damaged, the psychological injury is profound even in the absence of physical harm.
“A home represents safety, continuity and identity. When it is destroyed or destabilised, people experience loss of grounding.”
She said that those affected need to be helped not just on a practical but an emotional level too.
“Israel is currently living under continuous traumatic stress combined with cumulative exposure,” she said.
“This creates strain, but it also activates collective resilience factors such as solidarity, shared purpose and communal cohesion.
“Trauma care in this context is not only about therapy rooms. It is about strengthening regulation, connection and meaning within an unstable reality.”
To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.