Taiwan pledges £135k to Beit Shemesh after Iranian missile kills nine
Donation announced as international support grows following strike that destroyed shelter and synagogue in Israeli city
Taiwan has pledged around £135,000 in aid to the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh after an Iranian missile strike killed nine people and devastated a residential area earlier this week.
The donation, announced by Taiwan’s representative office in Israel, will fund emergency assistance for families affected by the attack, including food parcels, hygiene supplies and other essential equipment.
The missile struck Beit Shemesh – around 20 miles west of Jerusalem, on Sunday after reportedly evading Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system. The blast destroyed a bomb shelter where several victims had sought refuge and damaged nearby buildings, including a synagogue.
Among those killed were nine civilians, including four teenagers.
One of the first victims identified was Ronit Elimelech, a volunteer emergency responder from the city. Elimelech, 45, was killed alongside her mother, Sarah. Her three children were injured in the attack and remain in the hospital.
United Hatzalah, the volunteer emergency response organisation she served with, paid tribute to her in a statement, describing her as “a friend. A colleague. A Hero in Orange.”
The group said rescue teams searched for hours before confirming her death.
“For several agonising hours after the strike, Ronit was listed as missing,” the organisation said. “Rescue teams searched relentlessly through the wreckage until confirmation came that she and her mother were among those who had been killed.”
Beit Shemesh officials later confirmed the identities of the other victims as Bruria Gloria Cohen and her son Yossi; Oren Katz; Gavriel Baruch Ravach; and siblings Yaakov, Avigail and Sara Biton.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene the following day alongside Culture Minister Amichai Eliyahu.
Eliyahu told Sky News: “What did these people here ever do to them? What did these babies do to harm them?”
“They have never done anything bad to Iran; we don’t even share a border with Iran. This was done for no reason at all, except pure hatred for the sake of hatred.
“So I’m asking all those who defend them in the world, who are you defending? Monsters, monsters want to kill us.”
Aid groups have been providing support to residents since the strike. The Jewish Agency for Israel said its teams were on the ground delivering assistance to affected families.
In a post on X, the organisation said: “After the destruction and loss in Beit Shemesh, the Jewish Agency was on the ground right away, delivering emergency assistance to affected families. Showing up in moments of crisis is what we do.”
The Beit Shemesh attack is one of several missile strikes reported across Israel since the escalation of fighting last weekend, with Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba also targeted.
According to Israel’s Health Ministry, more than 1,400 people have been hospitalised since the outbreak of hostilities, although the overall death toll has remained relatively limited.
Taiwan’s contribution forms part of a wider international effort to provide humanitarian support to communities affected by the attacks.
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