Israeli rescue forces retrieved two puppies from a home damaged by an Iranian missile strike overnight Saturday in the central city of Bat Yam, local media reported Tuesday.
The dogs were located by teams of the Israel Defense Forces’ Home Front Command and the Israel Police, Channel 12 News reported.
The Bat Yam Municipality reportedly took custody of the two puppies, which appeared to be mixed breed Labrador retrievers, and evacuated them for initial medical treatment while trying to locate the owners.
Nine people were killed when an apartment building in the suburb just south of Tel Aviv sustained a direct hit from an Iranian ballistic missile. A 4-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy were among those murdered.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene on Sunday, vowing that Tehran would face severe consequences for its actions.
“We are here because we are in an existential battle, which today is understood by every citizen of Israel,” he stated. “Think about what would happen if Iran had a nuclear weapon to drop on Israeli cities. Think about what would happen if Iran had 20,000 such missiles. Not one—20,000. An existential threat to Israel,” continued Netanyahu.
“That is why we launched a rescue war against a double annihilation threat, and we are doing this with force. Our soldiers, our pilots are above the skies of Iran. Iran will pay a very heavy price for the deliberate murder of civilians, women and children,” the prime minister warned.