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Investigation Finds Most Beit Shemesh Victims Were Outside Synagogue Shelter

The probe says the shelter met Home Front Command rules, indicating an unusually heavy warhead drove the destruction.

Overview

  • Roughly 30 people were inside the protected space at impact and most survived, with only two of the nine fatalities occurring inside.
  • Investigators say the missile carried a warhead of more than 400 kilograms that detonated on the synagogue roof and drove an explosive force into the shelter below.
  • A professional cited in the report said the shelter ceiling bent but did not fully collapse, a factor that likely spared many lives inside.
  • Home Front Command determined the shelter complied with standards and had been rated excellent in 2023; a light-construction synagogue was added above it in 2015.
  • Witnesses reported the blast during or before the siren, while the IDF said alerts were issued as required; the explosion injured dozens and caused structural damage up to about 600 meters away.