Itamar Residents Rushed to Shelters With Babies After Iranian Missile Strike

Residents near the Itamar settlement in Samaria were left scrambling for cover after an Iranian missile, fired as part of the renewed fighting between Israel and Iran, struck the area and damaged homes. Reut Ben Gigi, who lives in one of the affected houses, said on Ynet that she ran to a shelter with her baby in her arms, along with her husband and two children, and made it in time, while some neighbors did not.

Ben Gigi said the family only realized later how close they had come to disaster. “It’s a miracle,” she said, adding that houses were destroyed. She described the lack of protection in the neighborhood as a severe failure, saying there is only one shelter for 40 families.

According to the report, the neighborhood has insufficient protection, and the single shelter is far from many of the homes. Residents had to run there within a very short time. Ben Gigi said that for her it takes about a minute because she lives nearby, but others have to drive. She said the shelter is crowded and stifling, and urged the addition of more protected spaces so every family can reach safety in time.

Ben Gigi said the community has grown up with the expectation to “stay,” even as outside forces try to break them, and said they will try to bring in more shelters for the children. “I hope we succeed,” she said.